Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 vice-presidential candidate, has declared that none of the major politicians positioning themselves to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election has the capacity to transform Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed, who served as the running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, made the assertion while speaking on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday.
President Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is seeking re-election in 2027, while several prominent opposition figures have begun positioning themselves for the presidential contest.
Among those expected to play major roles in the election are Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
However, Baba-Ahmed argued that the political histories of many of the leading contenders make it difficult to expect a fundamental transformation under their leadership.
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According to him, several of those currently seeking to replace Tinubu have, at different times, been associated with political parties and administrations that contributed to the problems confronting the country.
“I will simply advise uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him,” Baba-Ahmed 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 PDP.”
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‘I Am the Only One Who Has Never Been in a Ruling Party’
Baba-Ahmed, a former federal lawmaker, said his political ambition is centred on the pursuit of what he described as a “new Nigeria”.
He argued that his political history distinguishes him from other prominent figures seeking the presidency, claiming that he is the only leading politician in the current political conversation 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 asked.
The former lawmaker recalled his membership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), stressing that the party was an opposition party at the time.
He said he resigned from the CPC before the party entered into a merger with other political parties that eventually led to the formation of the APC.
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“I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC, it was a little opposition party,” he said.
“I never had an APC membership card.”
Datti Questions Atiku’s Criticism of Tinubu
Baba-Ahmed also addressed the controversy surrounding President Tinubu’s records in the United States, questioning former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s handling of the issue.
He suggested that Atiku had not always pursued criticism of Tinubu over the matter with the same intensity that has characterised recent political exchanges.
The comments come amid renewed political scrutiny of the backgrounds and records of politicians expected to play significant roles in the 2027 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed also argued that Tinubu had already been given an opportunity to govern Nigeria and should prepare to leave office after completing the constitutionally allowed period rather than seek to extend his tenure beyond a second term.
‘Tinubu Has Destroyed Political Parties’
The former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate further accused the Tinubu administration of weakening Nigeria’s political parties since coming to power.
“All he did in three years was to destroy political parties,” Baba-Ahmed alleged.
His comments come at a time when Nigeria’s political landscape is undergoing significant realignment ahead of the 2027 general election.
Several politicians who were previously associated with different political platforms have either defected, formed new alliances or joined emerging movements in preparation for the next presidential contest.
2027 Battle Takes Shape
The 2027 presidential election is expected to be one of the most closely watched political contests in Nigeria, with the ruling APC expected to defend its position while opposition parties seek to build a formidable coalition capable of defeating Tinubu.
The emergence of multiple political platforms and the movement of prominent politicians across party lines have already intensified speculation about possible alliances ahead of the election.
For Baba-Ahmed, however, the solution goes beyond replacing one established political figure with another.
His argument is that Nigeria requires a fundamental political departure from what he described as the old order — a position that could become a major talking point as campaigns and political alignments intensify ahead of 2027.
