Peter Obi, Atiku: Why None of Tinubu’s Challengers Can Improve Nigeria, Datti Explains
- Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi's 2023 running mate, weighed in on the 2027 presidential race during a podcast appearance on Saturday
- Baba-Ahmed told President Tinubu to prepare to hand over power but warned against the current opposition candidates replacing him
- The former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate argued he is the only major contender who has never belonged to a ruling party in Nigeria
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Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, says none of the prominent figures challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027 has what it takes to fix Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed, who served as Peter Obi's running mate in 2023, did not spare his former ally from criticism.
Source: Twitter
He argued that all the leading contenders, including Obi, had at some point been part of the political arrangements he holds responsible for Nigeria's current difficulties.
As reported by Vanguard, Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an appearance on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
He offered a blunt assessment of the crowded field of presidential hopefuls shaping up ahead of the next election cycle.
"I will simply advise Uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him.
Because none of them will improve Nigeria, all those people contesting against him too were all in bed together at some point or another — including Peter Obi. At some point, he was in PDP."
Baba-Ahmed on his own political record
According to The Punch, the former lawmaker positioned himself as a distinctly different kind of politician, claiming he is the only serious contender who has never held membership of a ruling party.
"Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. I'm the one. Have I ever been in a ruling party?" he said.
He said he was once a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but resigned before it merged with other parties to form the APC. "When I was in CPC, it was a little opposition party. I never had an APC membership card," he said.
Baba-Ahmed questions Atiku's criticism of Tinubu
On the controversy surrounding Tinubu's records in the United States, Baba-Ahmed questioned the consistency of Atiku's attacks on the president.
He suggested that the former vice-president had not always pursued the matter with equal vigour.
He also turned his fire on Tinubu's record in office, accusing the president of systematically undermining political institutions.
"All he did in three years was to destroy political parties," Baba-Ahmed said.
While acknowledging that Tinubu had been given a chance to govern, he said the president should not seek to extend his time in power beyond a second term.
The 2027 presidential election is shaping up to be one of Nigeria's most competitive in recent memory, with several political figures and parties already jostling for position.
Source: Twitter
2027: Peter Obi declares what will happen
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi made a major declaration during a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Thursday, ahead of the 2027 election.
The NDC presidential candidate referenced the IReV failures that sparked controversy after the 2023 general election, NDC vice presidential candidate.
Kwankwaso also addressed supporters, warning Nigerians not to repeat past electoral mistakes.
Source: Legit.ng
