2027: Baba-Ahmed denies declaring presidential bid, says Obi free to return to Labour Party if denied ADC ticket

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, has said that his principal, Peter Obi, would be welcomed back into the party if he fails to secure the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket for the 2027 election.

Baba-Ahmed made the statement during an interview with Channels Television on Friday, suggesting it would be preferable for Obi to return to the platform they jointly contested in 2023 rather than pursue what he called “another type of agenda.”

“I also said if Peter Obi does not get the ticket there in ADC, he is more than welcome back to the Labour Party. I will stand there, and nobody will do anything bad to Peter Obi. It is better for him to come back than for him to do another type of agenda,” he said.

His comments follow Obi’s recent move to join an opposition coalition led by the ADC, nearly three years after the duo ran together under the LP in the last presidential election.

Baba-Ahmed also dismissed reports claiming he had declared an intention to run for president, calling such claims false.

“I never declared to contest the presidency even though there could be a possibility of that happening. I certainly did not declare for the presidency. I simply reiterated my membership of the Labour Party. That is all, and in the submissions I made, I clearly stated that one will have to wait for the INEC timetable and for the party to make the call for people to indicate their interest,” he explained.

He attributed the false reports to social media sensationalism, which he said fueled misleading narratives among emotionally driven audiences.