Datti Baba-Ahmed warns Obi supporters he has more to reveal
- Datti Baba-Ahmed says supporters of Peter Obi attack him for speaking the truth.
- He warns he has more damaging things to reveal if the attacks continue.
- He repeats that northern voters are unlikely to back an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who ran as the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate in 2023, has hit back at supporters of Peter Obi after criticism of his recent comments, warning that he is holding back more damaging material.
He spoke in an interview with Symfoni TV, according to Sahara Reporters and Daily Post.
Baba-Ahmed said backers of Obi, widely called Obidients, are quick to go after anyone who says what he called the truth about their principal. He said he could say more if they keep coming at him.
He also said he remains a loyal member of the Labour Party, but would not be silenced by people he said do not know what happened during the 2023 campaign.
Why it matters
The remarks land in the middle of a live argument about who might run together in 2027. Obi was the Labour Party's flag bearer in 2023; Sahara Reporters reported that he is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), while Daily Post described his recent moves as a step towards an ADC coalition. The two accounts do not agree on which party he is now tied to.
Baba-Ahmed has said a ticket pairing Obi with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso would struggle to win support in northern Nigeria. He said his view comes from what he saw on the campaign trail.
He recalled that soon after he joined the ticket in 2022, he had to deal with claims that Obi's government in Anambra State made northerners carry identification cards. He also mentioned the controversy over a demolished mosque in Anambra and a leaked recording of Obi speaking with Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church.
Baba-Ahmed said those issues made the campaign harder in the north, and that he travelled to places including Borno, Kano and Zaria to push back on them and sell Obi to voters.
He questioned how Kwankwaso could now campaign for the same ticket in Kano, recalling that the former governor had once flown to Anambra to challenge Obi over the treatment of northerners.
Daily Post reported that Baba-Ahmed's recent criticism of Obi's move towards an ADC coalition angered some supporters, who accused him of betraying Obi and working for Atiku Abubakar.
What happens next
Talks about alliances and possible tickets are expected to continue ahead of the 2027 general election. Whether Baba-Ahmed makes good on his warning, and how Obi's camp responds, will shape the next round of the argument.
