Who Helped Who? Fresh Clash Over Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed’s "Sympathy" 2023 Ticket

• A member of the Obidient Movement has criticised Datti Baba-Ahmed over his claim that he joined the 2023 ticket out of sympathy
• The supporter challenged Baba-Ahmed’s remarks about alleged rejection of Peter Obi by other potential running mates
• Electoral results in Kaduna state were cited to question claims of political influence during the 2023 election cycle

A member of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Umeh Sunday Elder, has kicked back at Datti Baba-Ahmed over his claim that he joined Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential ticket out of sympathy.

Datti Baba-Ahmed had also alleged that Obi was initially rejected by three prominent politicians he approached to serve as running mate before he eventually accepted the offer.

The Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, who made the remarks in a recent interview, said his decision to join the ticket was driven by sympathy after those alleged rejections.

However, he declined to disclose the names of the politicians who turned down his running mate's offer at the time.

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But in a telephone interview with a Legit.ng correspondent on Saturday, June 6, Umeh, a member of the Obidient Movement in Anambra and a strong supporter of Peter Obi, said Baba-Ahmed became hostile after he was not selected as Obi’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

He said, "I do not want to say that Datti Ahmed is pained that he wasn't chosen as Peter Obi's vice presidential candidate for the second time, but coming on national television to say that he agreed to become Obi's vice out of sympathy in 2023 was not only careless but also completely unbridled."

"Datti Ahmed has achieved so much in life, no doubt. He has made a name for himself. At least, if not for anything, for building Baze University, a school that has helped many members of the rich and political class obtain degrees they may not have ordinarily secured from public universities with stricter academic standards."

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"Even in the political world, Datti has managed to become a Senator in 2011, although he did not complete his full term because his victory was overturned by the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal after it was established that the election was rigged in his favour."

"But saying that he agreed to become Obi's vice out of sympathy after three people had rejected Obi is where the story becomes really interesting. To interpret that statement further would simply mean that he did Obi a favour, and that position completely ridicules the facts before us."

Loyalist questions Datti's claim using Kaduna results

Kaduna state's results were also cited as evidence that Obi still struggled in the North despite Datti being on the ticket. According to Umeh:

"Maybe no one has reminded Datti that the only reason Obi did not win the 2023 election in the North was that he chose a man who did not possess enough electoral currency to secure victory in the North when it mattered the most."

"Let us restrict ourselves to the facts from Datti's own state, Kaduna, in Northern Nigeria. Obi cleared the entire Southeast, the majority of Southsouth and other areas; but what was Obi's performance in Kaduna state despite having Datti on the ticket?"

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"The last time I checked, Atiku won Kaduna state, while Peter Obi managed a distant third. What about Zaria, Datti's local government area? Did he deliver it for Obi? The answer is no! Atiku still dominated the local government, while Obi came a distant fourth."

"Now, let us move even closer to home. What happened in Datti's own polling unit, Polling Unit 021, Tudun Wada Ward? This was supposed to be the micro level of politics - the very place where Datti Baba-Ahmed cast his vote. It was expected to be the easiest place for him to demonstrate political influence. Yet, the PDP still claimed victory, while Obi's LP came a distant third."

"Ordinarily, one would expect Datti to win his polling unit comfortably. After all, this is the level of politics where a politician should practically know people by their names, households, and family histories. Yet, even there, victory proved elusive. So, if I may ask, between Datti and Obi, who actually chose the other out of sympathy?"

"The last time I checked, Datti was already a member of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and the party already had a presidential candidate in Donald Duke."

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"Would it not have been better for him to market Donald Duke and possibly position himself as his running mate, instead of behaving like an estranged lover, who has refused to move on long after the relationship has ended?

"Politics is a game of numbers, influence, and electoral value. Therefore, before anyone claims to have accepted a position out of sympathy, the figures and political realities must first support such a claim."

Ayodele warns Obi over Kwankwaso ticket choice

Legit.ng earlier reported that Primate Elijah Ayodele cautioned former presidential candidate Peter Obi over his alleged choice of Rabiu Kwankwaso as a running mate. He warned it could negatively affect his 2027 presidential ambition.

He claimed Obi’s political decisions are being influenced by desperation and warned that Kwankwaso may not fully support his ambition.

Source: Legit.ng