The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has tackled former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, for claiming that none of President Bola Tinubu’s opponents in the 2027 election can improve Nigeria, including his former running mate, Peter Obi.
Obi, who ran with Baba-Ahmed in 2023, is the NDC presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
While the NDC said Baba-Ahmed is entitled to his opinion, it asked whether the former LP vice-presidential candidate ran in 2023 with a flag bearer that he knew had no capacity to improve the nation’s economy.
NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said, “That is his personal opinion, which he is constitutionally entitled to. However, the question is: did he run in 2023 with a candidate that he knew had no capacity to improve the nation’s economy?” Director queried.
Obi is the presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2027 general election, with former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate.
Speaking on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday, Baba-Ahmed said none of the leading candidates for 2027 has the capacity to move the country forward.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate in 2023, said the former governor of Anambra and the other contenders are among the breed of politicians who brought Nigeria to its current state.
“I will simply advise uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him,” he said.
“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 the PDP.”
The former lawmaker said he is calling for a “new Nigeria,” noting that he is the only politician who has never been a member 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.
Baba-Ahmed said that although he was a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he resigned before it merged with other parties to form the APC.
“I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC, it was a small opposition party,” he said.
“I never had an APC membership card.”
Baba-Ahmed also weighed in on the controversy over the president’s records in the United States.
He queried why Atiku was “at the forefront of tormenting” Tinubu over his records when he had been quiet about the matter in the past.
