Obi, Atiku, Tinubu’s 2027 challengers can’t improve Nigeria – Datti

n n

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 vice-presidential candidate, has said none of President Bola Tinubu’s major opponents in the 2027 presidential election has the capacity to improve Nigeria.

n

Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, made the statement while speaking on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday.

n

Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is seeking re-election in 2027, with Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) among his major challengers.

n

Baba-Ahmed said the leading contenders had, at various times, been associated with political parties and administrations that he blamed for Nigeria’s current condition.

n

“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.

n

“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.”

n

The former lawmaker said he was advocating a “new Nigeria” and claimed to be the only politician among the leading contenders who had never belonged to a ruling party.

n

“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.

n

Baba-Ahmed said he was a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but resigned before the party merged with other political parties to form the APC.

n

“I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC, it was a little opposition party,” he said.

n

“I never had an APC membership card.”

n

Baba-Ahmed questions Atiku over Tinubu’s records

n

The former LP vice-presidential candidate also commented on the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s records in the United States.

n

He questioned Atiku’s criticism of the president over the matter, arguing that the former vice-president had not always raised the issue with the same intensity.

n

Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu had been given an opportunity to govern the country but should not seek to extend his stay beyond his second term.

n

He also accused the president of weakening political parties during his administration.

n

“All he did in three years was to destroy political parties,” Baba-Ahmed said.

n

The 2027 presidential election is expected to feature several prominent political figures, with parties and political movements already positioning themselves ahead of the poll.

n n