2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Datti Baba-Ahmed, has publicly distanced himself from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) opposition coalition, labeling it as “deceptive.” In an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday, Baba-Ahmed reaffirmed his allegiance to the Labour Party and expressed his desire for his former running mate, Peter Obi, to return to the party for the 2027 presidential election.
“I am a Labour Party man, for God’s sake. I am Peter Obi’s man,” Baba-Ahmed stated, adding, “I still want Peter Obi to come back to the Labour Party and contest in 2027.”
The former vice-presidential hopeful also directed strong criticism of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He accused the commission of lacking competence and credibility, specifically alleging that it “circumvented the constitution” during the 2023 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed argued that electoral fraud is the fundamental cause of Nigeria’s national challenges, even superseding insecurity. “The electoral fraud is right now the most important fact to be addressed in our life as a nation, even beyond insecurity,” he said. “Insecurity is derived from electoral fraud. Corruption is aggravated by the kind of electoral fraud that we have.”
He further criticized the INEC leadership for a clear breach of constitutional provisions, referencing the requirement for a presidential candidate to secure 25% of votes in at least two-thirds of the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to Baba-Ahmed, this alleged breach has led to the country’s current state.
