Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition to field a presidential candidate that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot easily defeat in the 2027 elections.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks in an interview with Trust TV, where he expressed doubts about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s chances under the ADC platform.
According to him, the APC has already mastered how to tackle Atiku, having defeated him in two previous presidential contests.
“If Atiku emerges, they know his political moves, and they know how to work against him,” Baba-Ahmed stated. “We need a candidate they can’t predict, someone they don’t know how to fight. That’s the only way to win.”
The Kaduna-born politician noted that the opposition must understand the political strength of President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as a highly strategic figure.
“Tinubu is powerful. He schemed and waited for 16 years to achieve his ambition. I don’t see anyone in the coalition who is ready to make that level of sacrifice or long-term plan,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He also pointed out that Tinubu’s decision to step aside for former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 is part of what helped him eventually secure the presidency in 2023.
Meanwhile, Baba-Ahmed, in a separate interview, reiterated his support for Peter Obi, insisting that Obi should not run as a vice-presidential candidate after his performance in the 2023 elections.
“Peter Obi should not be a VP again after securing over 10 million votes. That position is significant, and Obi has proven himself,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also challenged the idea that only a coalition can unseat the APC, recalling that the Labour Party made significant inroads in the last election without aligning with other parties.
“People say you need a coalition to defeat Tinubu, but in 2023, the Labour Party, without any coalition, defeated APC and PDP in several areas,” he added.
The ADC coalition, which includes key political figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, has been battling internal power struggles over who should fly the party’s presidential flag in 2027.
