The Labour Party’s Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has formally declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2027, amid growing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition politics.

Baba-Ahmed made the declaration on Wednesday at a rally held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

 

His announcement comes barely one week after the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, announced his exit from the party for the African Democratic Congress, a move that has sparked renewed debate over the future of the Labour Party and the broader opposition coalition ahead of the next general election.

Addressing party members and supporters, Baba-Ahmed insisted that his presidential ambition was neither reactionary nor influenced by Obi’s political decisions, stressing that it predates the 2023 election.

 

He said, “I have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I am not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes. Before His Excellency Peter Obi filed to contest for president, I had already aspired to the office. The records are there.”

The former lawmaker recalled his earlier attempt to secure a presidential ticket, noting that he had previously contested in the Peoples Democratic Party primaries before later aligning with Obi on the Labour Party platform.

 

According to him, his decision to step aside in 2023 was driven by the need for national unity.

Baba-Ahmed also addressed concerns around religion and ethnicity, insisting that the Nigerian constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.

 

 

He said, “Yes, I am a practising Muslim. Yes, I am a Hausa man. But I am first a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. I am doing this because Nigeria needs help.”

While making his intention clear, Baba-Ahmed emphasized that he would comply strictly with party rules and electoral guidelines, noting that he would not take further steps until the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Labour Party release their official timetables.

Reacting, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, commended Baba-Ahmed for remaining in the party despite speculations that he might defect following Peter Obi’s departure.

The development further underscores the shifting dynamics within Nigeria’s opposition as preparations for the 2027 elections gradually take shape.