In a fresh clarification amid swirling political speculations, the 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed has announced that he hasn’t decided to run for presidency in 2027.
Datti stated that he has made no formal announcement to contest the presidency in the upcoming general elections.
The former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, who ran alongside Peter Obi, addressed the controversy during an interview with the press on Friday.
Datti emphasized that reports claiming he had decided to run for the presidency in 2027 were based on misinterpretations of his statements.
He added that any potential future interest would depend on the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s official call for aspirants.
Datti stated: “I never declared to contest the presidency even though there could be a possibility of that happening. I certainly did not declare for the presidency. I simply reiterated my membership of the Labour Party.
“That is all and in the submissions I made, I clearly stated that one will have to wait for the INEC timetable and for the party to make the call for people to indicate their interest.”
He blamed those who employ sensationalism on social media “for putting out wrong narratives to emotional listeners”.
Speaking further during the interview, Datti also said that he hasn’t seen Obi’s resignation letter from the Labour Party.
According to the Kaduna-born politician, Obi’s decision to join the coalition does not change the dynamics of his relationship with the former Anambra State governor.
“I also said if Peter Obi does not get the ticket there in ADC, he is more than welcome back to the Labour Party. I will stand there and nobody will do anything bad to Peter Obi. He should come back then for him to do another type of agenda,” Datti said.
He asked Obi to submit his resignation letter and membership card to the LP, saying he “never heard him say defecting to ADC. I did not hear that, maybe I missed it but please find out if he said joining the coalition or joining the ADC”.
His comment came days after Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, teamed up with the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“Today is an important day; today is the last day of 2025, so we are ending this year with the hope that, in 2026, we will begin a journey of the rescue of our country for proper socio-economic development that will be unifying and inclusive,” Obi said at an event in Enugu where he, and some South-East leaders, declared for the ADC.
Datti and Obi ran on a joint ticket in that poll but the former has remained in the LP and believes the party is big enough to challenge for Nigeria’s exalted seat.
