THIS DAWN — Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has formally declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2027.
Baba-Ahmed made the declaration while speaking at a rally at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He was joined by LP National Chairman Julius Abure and National Secretary Umar Farouk.
His announcement comes just a week after Peter Obi, his former running mate, exited the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The announcement sparked debate over the opposition’s future.
Baba-Ahmed emphasized that his ambition is independent of Obi’s decisions.
He noted that it predates the 2023 election and reflects his long-term political vision.
Casting aspersion on Peter Obi, he described him as ‘a political traveller’.
The Declaration
See the full speech below:
“Labour Party, forward labour, forward ever, the real champions are the Nigerian people.
Able Chairman of Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, National Secretary Alhaji Omar Faruk Ibrahim.
My leaders in the National Working Committee, State Chairman and Secretaries, distinguished comrades, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the media force, good day to us all.
I salute the courage and efforts of Labour Party to have scored over 10 million votes in the ill-fated 2023 presidential election and in presenting evidence of same to the courts.
I share the pain and agony of chronic misgovernance that follows successive fraudulent elections and that continues to be manifest in deadly insecurity, a failing economy and aggravated corruption.
Having witnessed the quiet exits of their comrades that we achieved election victory with in 2023, it genuinely behooves on me as a loyal party member to declare that I remain in Labour Party.
To reiterate, I am in Labour Party, I intend to remain in Labour Party.
Honourable colleagues, distinguished comrades, defection is not actually a crime, but choices reflect morality, social responsibility and actual character.
I therefore question nobody for exercising their rights.
Of course, I side with the arguments of my able leaders, especially the philosophical points expounded by my Honourable Attorney Bennie.
My own history, to be candid, is not free of such change at some point in time.
I was elected in 2003 in the then ANPP and we contested in ANPP.
My principles of belonging to the leading opposition political party made me contest Senate 2011 in the then CPC.
Calls for violence and the violence that ensued made me avoid APC in 2015 as I did not even contest elections the year that the dreaded APC government came into power.
In 2018, I contested presidential primaries in the then PDP, again being the leading opposition political party.
Again, based on principles, I walked away from 2022 Kaduna State’s governorship primaries. I decided to respect the rotation of presidency between North and South for 2023-2027.
For avoidance of doubts, I have consistently remained in a party called the leading opposition political party in Nigeria.
I saw a great opportunity for national unity in electing His Excellency Peter Obi in 2023 and so gladly answered when I was invited to serve as Vice Presidential Candidate.
Make no mistake, we won this election. The rest is history and an academic exercise.
Now in Labour Party, I intend to remain in Labour Party. This is not to say that I am unaware of sinister political assignments always at work.
A party that presented 10 million votes to the courts deserves respect and loyalty.
A party that united genuine democratic citizens needs to be sustained. The party that mobilized Nigerian youth must be promoted.
I had earlier engaged all party members to reconcile and while some heeded my calls, others took offense and proceeded to defect.
No regrets to me for this role, however, as a leader in this party. In this defection case, neither my humble self nor the Labour Party are the aggressors.
A group of political travelers welcomed in 2022 with a presidential ticket continue with their journey. Simple.
This is a fact to keep in mind in anticipation of their ever-ready hostile online attitudes.
With all humility, Labour Party confronts its successes in the presence of financial difficulties in an era of perfected electoral fraud.
Labour Party produced a state governor, eight senators, about 40 House of Reps, about 45… about 50 state House of Assembly members, most of whom have now defected.
And again, I am proud to be associated with real, real members like my brother, Honorable Etenabene.
Labour Party is now free to learn from past errors and omissions and present best candidates in 2027.
And to this end, I hasten to say that there is a whole generation of highly educated, experienced and well-motivated Nigerians in the waiting… waiting to be led by a new kind of leader to a new kind of party.
That party is Labour Party. That leader is for Labour Party to find. Nigeria does not lack good people to lead.
The good people avoid unhealthy political culture in expensive platforms under undemocratic godfathers.
Labour Party is still in good shape and has somewhat been relieved.
Now is the time to quickly re-engineer. With the right candidates, 2027 election victory can be assured.
Reconciliation efforts began earlier will be sustained. No one will be asked to leave anymore.
All members are welcome to rebuild the party and promote their individual political aspirations.
Labour Party, by its name, its design, its philosophy, is that unique party bona fidely concerned with welfare of citizens.
And because the bourgeois are comfortable, Labour concentrates on the working class, the trading class and the middle class.
I see in Labour Party the right leader with the right leader in Nigeria, a Nigeria with realistic living wages, which indeed is a prerequisite for a just and egalitarian society supported by a functioning public service.
Exactly, I am saying that I see a Nigeria where the June 2027 salaries of public servants, especially security personnel and teachers, will be four times as is currently being paid.
Please, please hear me again. Nigeria can afford it.
My good friend, the police constable, the army private, the teachers that are looked down at, I think they should, and I know they should and I’m able to ensure that they will earn nothing less than four times what they are being paid today in June 2027.
I have not left Labour Party because Labour Party won a presidential election.
I have not left Labour Party because I am not satisfied with a coalition of disgruntled politicians who could not even challenge 2023 constitutional breaches.
I will not leave Labour Party because of the promise it holds.
All major aspirants, and I mean all, I challenge to be shown one, just one among the major aspirants, (11:53) only one that has never been in a ruling party. I am that one.
I have never been in a ruling party. The records are there for you to see.
And if the records of APC are that of a ruling party, I never wish to join any ruling party except one that by God’s grace, that government that we’re going to form.
I therefore remain a loyal Labour Party member and I make myself available to fix Nigeria. Nigerians know the truth. Nigerians, we know the truth.
Nigerians, please use the truth. I am my own boss. Simple.
I’m not following anybody’s trajectory. I’m not stepping into anybody’s shoes.
Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi, aspired for presidency, I aspired for presidency before him.
The records are there for you to see. In October 2018, I attended the, I participated in the primaries of PDP, the then PDP in Port Harcourt.
And I walked to Governor Peter Obi and I said, please can I have your vote? And he smiled at me.
What a gentleman he was. And then I took one and he took Peter Obi as his, as we call it, running mate.
So forgive me, your question is not even relevant because it does not pertain to me.
I aspired to presidency before His Excellency Peter Obi.
And if you heard me well in what I just submitted, I saw a great, a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023.
And that is why I decided to flow with it. You asked about religion. Yes, I am a Muslim.
I’m a practicing Muslim, but I’m a Nigerian. And the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about ethnicity.
Yes, I am, as you see, an Hausa man, but I’m a Nigerian. And Nigerian constitution allows me to contest.
I have never done anything because of ethnicity or religion.
I’m doing it because Nigeria needs help. Nigeria needs people like me.
Then your question about if I have decided to declare I’m a law-abiding citizen and I’m also a loyal party member until the timetable is released by INEC, until the whistle is blown, until leadership of Labour Party say those who are interested, I will not say anything about.
However, remember, I told you, Nigerians we know the truth. Nigerians use the truth. If you like, continue deceiving ourselves.
Nigerians, we know the truth. Okay, somebody asked if EFCC invited me. EFCC has never invited me and it is very, very unlikely anytime soon they will.
And I pray to God for his, and I thank God for his continued protection.
However, there was a mild Nollywood drama between some gentlemen of DSS and myself. I think on the 28th of November 2025, it lasted just two hours and ten minutes.
To sum it all up, I walked into their national headquarters very curious, like why, why are you looking for me?
I’m not a criminal. The criminals are in your offices. But in any case, the criminals are in your corridors of power.
But anyway, here I am. Talk to me. What do you want? I came out feeling very, very sorry for Federal Republic of Nigeria.
If these are what you call our leaders, then yes, I understand why United States of America will have to come and attack terrorists on behalf of Nigerian forces.
I feel sorry for us. But yes, a Nollywood drama played out, and they pleaded that please, you know the government is very weak.
And the way you’re punching, it can crash. And I said, didn’t you hear me?
I don’t even want to talk about those people because the government is weak. Now listen, these are what we call paper tigers.
The wind is blowing and they’re scaring people. Do not be afraid. Trust in God.
Believe in yourself. Believe in yourselves. And they will add up to nothing.
You can rescue Nigeria. If your name is a human being, a human being will sort you out. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a human being.
There are human beings in Labour Party. Among those human beings, one of them is likely to remove Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a rigged in president of Federal Republic of Nigeria. I think the next question is for you.
I’m telling you; I’m telling you. Go for it. Go for it.
