- Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed said he accepted to run as deputy to Peter Obi in 2023 out of sympathy and concern for Nigeria
- He revealed that Peter Obi had approached multiple figures before he eventually agreed to become his running mate
- Baba-Ahmed stated that he had since left the Labour Party and joined the Peoples Redemption Party, insisting he remained politically independent
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that his decision to accept the role in the 2023 presidential election was driven more by sympathy for Peter Obi and concern for Nigeria’s condition than by ideological alignment.
Baba-Ahmed made the disclosure during an interview with the media outlet Symfoni, as seen in a video circulating on Wednesday.
He explained that before he agreed to partner with Obi, the former Anambra State governor had approached three other prominent political figures, all of whom reportedly declined the offer to run as his vice-presidential candidate.
According to him, this situation left him feeling both compassion for Obi and concern for the broader political direction of the country.
“I have sympathy for him… I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation,” he said, adding that he stepped in as what he described as a “volunteer for the sake of Nigeria.”
Baba-Ahmed noted that his decision was not based on long-term political alignment but on a personal sense of responsibility at the time.
He stated: “They thought I would follow Peter Obi. Now, people don’t understand that between me and Obi, there’s a great deal of sympathy.”
The former senator, who recently defected from the Labour Party to the Peoples Redemption Party in May 2026, also used the interview to clarify his current political independence.
He stressed that his association with Obi does not define his political future, insisting that he remains free to take his own political decisions.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi. But I had given enough sympathy there… With due respect, he does not own my politics. He does not own me. I am independent,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He further argued that internal crises within political parties should not automatically justify defections, suggesting that similar challenges exist across different political platforms.
In his remarks, he cautioned against the assumption that alternative parties offer perfect solutions, noting that political structures often face comparable leadership and internal challenges regardless of party name or ideology.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments also come amid ongoing realignments within Nigeria’s opposition politics, with key figures continuing to shift alliances ahead of future elections.
The interview has since sparked renewed debate over the dynamics that shaped the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential ticket and the broader evolution of opposition politics in Nigeria.