Nigeria’s future worths more than your ambition – LP’s Baba-Ahmed tells Tinubu

Warns Shettima’s incendiary comments will plunge Nigeria to political crisis

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Vice Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has advised the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Ahmed Tinubu to consider withdrawing from the race ahead of 2023 general election if he is convinced that his strength cannot carry him, adding that the future of Nigeria is worth more than his personal ambition. 

Briefing journàlists yesterday in Abuja over some national issues ahead of the presidential election, Baba-Ahmed also charged APC to call its vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, to order before he plunged the country into political violence with his incendiary remarks against other presidential candidates.

Fielding questions from journàlists on the strength and health of Tinubu to lead Nigeria, the Labour Party’s vice presidential candidate said he and the presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have taken personal decisions not to campaign against any candidate on the basis of health or age, based on the fact that their (Obi and Baba-Ahmed) strength and health is not by their powers but God given.

He however argued that health, age and strength of candidates are basically a moral burden which candidates only can decide, but said the future and freedom of Nigerians worth more than the presidential ambition of any candidate. 

“We sympathise with Tinubu and will not hold it against him about that. Bola Ahmed Tinubu claims to be a godfather and he can continue to be a godfather. Let him go and relax, but if he thinks he can, let him come to the field, and we will beat him hands down and we will still respect him. By then, we will show him how we will develop Nigeria”, Baba-Ahmed said.

Recalling remarks of ex President Goodluck Jonathan that his personal ambition does not worth the blood of any Nigerian, the educationist said Nigerians have not heard of how other Presidential candidates will address issues of economy, including growth to production rate.

He however said though the careless utterances coming from Shettima is not a threat to the victory of Labour Party in the 2023, adding some erstwhile major political parties appear to have crossed the boundaries of decency to transgress peaceful activities and focus on political schedules.

While raising the alarm over comments by Tinubu in Delta that mentioning Peter Obi’s name is a disgrace to him, and that of Shettima that Peter Obi is glamorising poverty with his campaign, Baba-Ahmed said Obi is well known locally and internationally to have transcended beyond the level of obscene display of wealth.

“The Vice Presidential candidate has consistently put to shame the noble heritage of the great Bornu Empire, in his unguarded and uncultured public pronouncements, which expose his intellectual laziness and discomfort with empirical facts and arguments”, according to him.

According to him, the Labour Party is only raising the red flags because if Shettima, who had in the past said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is only good as an ice cream seller, while Atiku Abubakar as a bottle water seller, is allowed unchecked, it will get to the point where decency is thrown into the dustbin.

To this end, he cautioned that civility of Labour Party candidates should not be mistaken as weakness, just as he lamented what he described as resort to disinformation and misinformation by crumbling hitherto major political parties.

Baba-Ahmed also condemned a false narrative being spread nationwide that Peter Obi is against the production of oil in the north.

“Peter Obi has repeatedly stated at various local and international fora that the greatest physical asset of Nigeria is the vast rich land in the North, and declared his commitment as a visionary transformational leader to exploit same for the overwhelming benefit of the Nigerian people. To the architect of ‘’consumption to production’, oil in the North means more revenue for development, more jobs and opportunities.

“Earlier attempts to discredit the Obi’s candidacy through fabricated allegations of demolition of mosques, internal deportation of Northerners, issuance of ID cards to northerners, and ethic hostilities were all conclusively proven to be false and without basis.

“As if those were not enough, just a few days ago, the presidential candidate of the APC speaking in Delta State, and referring to our presidential candidate, said that it was a disgrace to mention his name. While our candidate is quite comfortable with not being mentioned, it is most unpresidential, indecorous and disrespectful from the candidate who claims his turn at Nigerian Presidency.”

He also said APCs strategy against Peter Obi now appears very clearly centered on promoting falsehood, in addition to empty and derogatory personal attacks, considering that they can find no contentious points of negativity to push.

As he assured that the upcoming weeks will witness escalation of Labour Party political activities, Baba-Ahmed urged all who have not yet collected their PVCs to do so without delay, and to follow through, to identify their polling booths, vote, and defend their votes.