Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, former vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, says he accepted to become the running mate of Peter Obi in the 2023 election out of sympathy for the former Anambra governor.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni Media, Datti-Ahmed said several prominent northern politicians had declined to join Obi’s presidential bid before he eventually accepted the offer.
“People don’t understand that between me and Obi, there’s a great deal of sympathy,” he said.
“I have sympathy for him, and this sympathy was at the core of our relationship.”
The former vice-presidential candidate said Obi had approached other northern political figures before the 2023 election but was unsuccessful.
“When he approached three other major politicians in 2021, they avoided him,” he said.
“I would have been glad if, in 2022, one of them went with Peter Obi, but they all avoided him.”
Datti-Ahmed said he felt compelled to support Obi because of what he believed was in the interest of Nigeria.
“I felt bad for him. I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
“You know the reasons. I know the reasons. We don’t have to say them now.”
He said his decision was consistent with his long-held commitment to public service.
“I took it upon myself because naturally, I’ve always been a volunteer for the sake of Nigeria,” he said.
OBI PARTY SWITCHING
The former lawmaker also questioned Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and later to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), saying he believed the former Labour Party candidate should have remained in the LP and resolved internal disagreements.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi, but I had given enough sympathy there,” he said.
“I thought what he should do as a leader was to sort the problem out.”
Datti-Ahmed argued that political challenges are common across parties and cannot be avoided by moving from one platform to another.
“If Abure was a problem, what makes him think the David Mark of ADC will not be a problem?” he asked.
“What makes him think the chairman or Seriake Dickson of NDC will not be a problem?”
“So it’s the same thing wherever you go. Stay here and fix this problem.”
He added that Obi’s decision to move to another party did not automatically determine his own political direction.
“With due respect, he does not own my politics,” Datti-Ahmed said.
“He does not own me. I am independent.”
