Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed has said sympathy for Peter Obi influenced his decision to become his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Mr Baba-Ahmed said many people misunderstood the nature of his relationship with Mr Obi, adding that sympathy played a major role in his decision to support the former Anambra State governor.
According to him, Obi approached three prominent politicians in 2022, but none agreed to join him. Baba-Ahmed said he was disappointed by the situation and decided to support Obi’s presidential bid.
He, however, did not reveal the identities of the politicians or explain why they allegedly declined to align with Obi.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi. People don’t understand the relationship between Peter Obi and me; I have a great deal of sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship,” he said.
“When he approached three major politicians in 2022, they avoided him. I would have been glad if one of them went with Peter Obi. They all avoided him. I felt bad for him and for Nigeria as a nation.”
Baba-Ahmed also dismissed suggestions that he would automatically follow Obi into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying he remains politically independent.
The former senator said Obi does not determine his political decisions and that his support for the Labour Party ticket in 2023 was voluntary.
In a separate interview on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, Baba-Ahmed defended his decision to leave the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
He said he chose not to join Obi in the opposition coalition because he believed the crisis within the Labour Party should have been resolved rather than abandoned.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi, but I had given enough sympathy then and I thought as a leader, what he should do then is to solve the problem out,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed questioned the decision to leave one political platform because of internal disagreements, only to join another party that could face similar challenges.
“If Abure was a problem, what makes him think the Nwosu or the David Mark of the ADC will not be a problem? What makes him think the chairman of Seriake’s party, NDC, will not be a problem? It’s the same thing wherever you go. Stay here and fix the problem; let’s work together, and he decided to move,” he said.
He maintained that his political choices are independent of Obi.
“With due respect, Peter Obi does not own my politics; he does not own me. I am independent,” Baba-Ahmed said.
According to him, he informed Obi of his reasons for rejecting the move to the ADC and decided to pursue his political future through another platform.
His comments come as opposition politicians continue to reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
