Isaac Samuel
The Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential race.
Baba-Ahmed made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing supporters at a rally at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
“I have presented myself to contest for the office in 2027. I am not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes,” he said.
He noted that his presidential ambition predated that of his former running mate, Peter Obi.
“Before His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi, filed for the presidency, I had aspired to the office before him. The records are there,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed was Mr Obi’s running mate on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 election.
His declaration comes barely a week after Obi announced his exit from the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which some opposition figures have adopted as a platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Although Obi had earlier signalled interest in the 2027 presidential contest before leaving the LP, indications suggest that Baba-Ahmed aligns with the Julius Abure-led faction of the party.
The faction has criticised Obi’s defection, describing it as a mistake.
Last year, the Kaduna State politician attended a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened by the Abure-led faction, where he described himself as a peacemaker working to reconcile the party’s internal divisions.
Obi was, at the time, believed to be aligned with the Nenadi Usman-led faction.
However, the Abure-led faction continues to face questions over its legitimacy.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired.
Despite the ruling, the faction went ahead to conduct primaries for the August 16, 2025 by-elections and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.
Recalling his earlier presidential ambition, Baba-Ahmed said he had previously contested in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries before teaming up with Obi in the Labour Party.
“In October 2018, I participated in the PDP primaries in Port Harcourt. I walked up to Obi for his vote and he smiled at me. What a gentleman,” he said.
He explained that his decision to support Obi in 2023 was driven by a desire for national unity.
“I saw a rare opportunity for national unity in the election of Peter Obi in 2023, and that was why I chose to go along with it,” he added.
Addressing concerns around religion and ethnicity, Baba-Ahmed said his ambition was motivated by Nigeria’s challenges.
“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. Yes, I am a Hausa man. The constitution allows me to contest. I am doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.
He also pledged to respect party and electoral procedures.
“As a law-abiding citizen and loyal party member, until INEC releases its timetable and the Labour Party calls for aspirants, I will not say anything further. But Nigerians know the truth,” he stated.
