Datti Ditches Loyalty? Reveals Why Peter Obi May Not Be His 2027 Choice

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has expressed his willingness to support any presidential candidate that emerges from the proposed opposition coalition—as long as the primary process is transparent and credible.

Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Thursday night, Baba-Ahmed made it clear that his support is not tied to Peter Obi, his former running mate, emphasizing that he is a team player who values fairness over personalities.

“I’m willing to back whoever wins through a clean and transparent primary process,” he said. “Whether or not it’s Peter Obi doesn’t matter to me. What matters is integrity and due process.”

Baba-Ahmed also revealed that he had predicted Nasir El-Rufai’s involvement in the coalition two years ago, a foresight he claimed to have shared with Obi.

He recounted his political journey, saying: “I was the 12th presidential aspirant in Port Harcourt and served credibly as the Director of Research and Strategy for the PDP in 2018 and 2019. I withdrew from the 2023 governorship race after seeing the nature of the primaries, and Peter Obi left PDP the next day.”

He continued, “If I’m part of the coalition and a candidate emerges through credible means, I’ll support that candidate. I’m with Peter Obi by default due to our shared journey in the Labour Party. If he wins, I’ll support him. If someone else wins fairly, I’ll support that person too.”

Baba-Ahmed concluded by reaffirming his prediction about El-Rufai: “Two years ago, I said El-Rufai would end up in some coalition and play the kind of role we now see—another correct political calculation.”