Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has hinted that he may join the 2027 presidential race—but only under specific conditions. Speaking Tuesday night on Arise Television’s Prime Time, the Labour Party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate said he would consider running only if Peter Obi and another respected Southern figure decline to contest.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Obi in 2023 under the Labour Party platform, emphasized that he is not driven by ambition but rather by a deep desire to rescue Nigeria from insecurity, corruption, and economic collapse. He reaffirmed his loyalty to Obi, stating that he would back the former Anambra governor again if he throws his hat into the ring in 2027.
“If Peter Obi contests, I will support him completely. That’s settled. But if he doesn’t, and this other person I have great respect for also doesn’t run, I may consider it—but not out of personal ambition,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He recalled his earlier attempt at the presidency in 2019, where he lost in the primaries alongside 11 other aspirants, and how he shelved his own aspirations to fully support Obi in 2023. The Labour Party eventually came third in that election, trailing the APC and PDP, according to INEC results.
The economist and former lawmaker stated that his ultimate political objective is not personal gain but national redemption. “My ambition is to stop the killings, stop the stealing, and halt the national slide,” he asserted.
Although he declined to name the second Southern figure whose decision he awaits, political observers speculate he may be referring to a prominent technocrat or elder statesman who aligns with the progressive reform agenda.
Datti’s conditional declaration has reignited discussions within the Obidient movement and beyond, especially amid uncertainty over Obi’s 2027 plans. As the Labour Party eyes its next electoral play, the former VP candidate’s words may have just reshuffled the deck ahead of Nigeria’s next defining vote.
