Former 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has ruled out the possibility of opposition parties presenting a unified presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, describing the idea as unrealistic.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he reacted to the recent Ibadan Declaration by opposition leaders seeking to field a single candidate against President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, the coalition effort lacks the broad-based support required to succeed, insisting that only two parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), were involved in the discussions.
The former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, who contested alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 election, dismissed the coalition plan as deceptive.
“I think it is a lie (unified opposition candidate). There is no way they will agree; it is not possible. It is only two parties, PDP and ADC. Now the faction of PDP who went there are the runners-up to Wike,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“Two parties coming to say that they are the entire opposition in Ibadan doesn’t make sense to me and I think it should not even be a topic for you and I to dwell upon.”
He further argued that the coalition under the ADC would struggle to gain traction, even if Peter Obi eventually secures the party’s presidential ticket.
“I have said it several times and I don’t want to say it again because a good number of them are my friends, and they always get agitated when I say the facts about them,” he said.
When asked whether the coalition would fare better if Obi emerged as its candidate, Baba-Ahmed responded bluntly: “I think it will not fly.”
Rather than dwell on personalities, he said the bigger issue lies with the political apathy of Nigerians, which he believes contributes significantly to poor governance.
“I don’t want to talk about individuals now; I want to talk about the core, the main subject of what we call opposition being able to take over. I want to talk about Nigerians still shying away from politics.
“Do we realise how bad this thing is? Nigerians are complicit in the continuation of bad governance because we have no shortage of good people, we have no shortage of angels, but they keep shying away from politics,” he stated.
Baba-Ahmed also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of focusing on weakening opposition political parties instead of addressing pressing national issues.
“Now you have a regime whose primary purpose has been the destabilisation of other political parties. We should be lucky today to say there is even one political party that is still standing.
“They have succeeded in destroying other political parties at the expense of what they should have done by providing security and improving our economy,” he said.
In a major political development, Baba-Ahmed also confirmed that he is leaving the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
According to him, the decision stems from internal disagreements and what he described as the party’s departure from the principles it once represented.
“I am leaving the Labour Party tomorrow [Wednesday]. There is more to it. When there was real peace in the Labour Party, was when they posted back.
“They redeployed someone with a specific purpose, and because of the antecedent of the individual to make life difficult, particularly for me. What the Labour Party stood for then is no longer what it is today,” he said.
He added that his resignation would take effect at midnight and confirmed that his next political platform would be the PRP.
The Peoples Redemption Party, founded in 1978 by the late Aminu Kano, remains one of Nigeria’s oldest political movements and is historically associated with progressive political ideology. Baba-Ahmed’s defection adds a new dimension to the shifting political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
What you should know
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has openly rejected the opposition coalition’s plan to produce a single presidential candidate for 2027, arguing that political rivalry and limited participation make such an arrangement unrealistic.
His criticism comes amid ongoing efforts by some opposition figures to build a united front against the APC.
More significantly, his decision to leave the Labour Party for the PRP signals fresh political realignments that could reshape opposition dynamics ahead of the next general election, especially considering his national profile following the 2023 presidential race alongside Peter Obi.
