Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, has said none of President Bola Tinubu’s major opponents in the 2027 presidential election can improve Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate in 2023, made the comment on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday while discussing the 2027 presidential contest involving Tinubu, Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress is seeking a second term, while Obi is contesting under the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Atiku under the African Democratic Congress.
Baba-Ahmed advised Tinubu to prepare to leave office but argued that his major opponents would not provide the change Nigerians needed.
“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.
“Because none of them will improve Nigeria.”
Baba-Ahmed argued that some of the politicians challenging Tinubu had previously belonged to the political establishment.
“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,” he said.
The former lawmaker said he was advocating what he described as a “new Nigeria”.
He also claimed to be the only politician among the leading contenders who had never belonged to a ruling party.
“Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. I’m the one,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed recalled that although he belonged to the Congress for Progressive Change, he left the party before its merger with other parties that formed the APC.
“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.”
On the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s records in the United States, Baba-Ahmed questioned Atiku’s position on the matter.
He asked why the former Vice-President was “at the forefront of tormenting” Tinubu over the issue after previously remaining quiet about it.
Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu had been given an opportunity to govern but should not seek to extend his stay in office.
He also accused the President of weakening opposition political parties, saying, “All he did in three years was to destroy political parties.”
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