Isaac Samuel
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said his former running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, remains his brother and political ally despite their differences over the 2027 general elections.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, made the clarification amid recent comments by Baba-Ahmed over his decision to leave the party and join the NDC.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate in 2023, had expressed reservations about some of Obi’s political decisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Spokesman of Peter Obi Media Office, Idris Zekeri in a statement on Tuesday said while responding to the development, Obi said their political differences should not be allowed to destroy the relationship they built over the years.
Obi described Baba-Ahmed as his “running mate, partner and brother”, stressing that their relationship went beyond politics.
According to him, political disagreements were inevitable, but should not turn former allies into enemies.
Obi said he respected Baba-Ahmed’s right to hold different political views, adding that he did not believe their disagreements should be interpreted as a personal rift.
“Despite everything that has been said, he remains my brother and my ally,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s current challenges required reconciliation and mutual understanding rather than deeper divisions among political actors.
“What Nigeria needs now is not deeper resentment among brothers but reconciliation, mutual understanding, and people prepared to place the nation above personal grievances,” he said.
Obi expressed hope that he and Baba-Ahmed would eventually sit together again, stressing that their political differences should not erase the bond between them.
“Brotherhood must endure beyond politics, and I hope ours always does,” he said.
Obi and Baba-Ahmed ran together on the Labour Party platform in the 2023 presidential election, finishing third behind the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Their divergent political paths have since emerged ahead of the 2027 election, with Obi pursuing his presidential ambition under the NDC while Baba-Ahmed remains associated with the Labour Party.
