Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that his decision to accept Peter Obi’s offer to run as vice president in the 2023 election was motivated by sympathy for both Obi and Nigeria, rather than political alignment.
Baba-Ahmed made the disclosure during an interview with media platform Symfoni, in a video that surfaced online on Wednesday.
According to him, Obi had unsuccessfully sought partnerships with three prominent politicians before approaching him. He said their refusal to join forces with the former Anambra State governor influenced his decision to step forward.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi. Now, people don’t understand that between me and Obi, there’s a great deal of sympathy. I have sympathy for him,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He added, “When he approached three other major politicians in 2021, they avoided him. I would have been glad if, in 2022, one of them went with Peter Obi. But they all avoided him. I felt bad for him. I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation… I took it upon myself because, naturally, I’ve always been a volunteer for the sake of Nigeria. I extended that sympathy.”
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The former senator, who left the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in May 2026, also used the interview to distance himself politically from Obi.
He stressed that his support for Obi during the election had limits and insisted that the former presidential candidate has no influence over his political decisions.
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“They thought I would follow Peter Obi. But I had given enough sympathy there… With due respect, he does not own my politics. He does not own me. I am independent,” he stated.
Baba-Ahmed further criticised Obi’s decision to leave the Labour Party, arguing that internal disputes within the party were not sufficient grounds for defection.
Referring to the challenges Obi cited within the LP, he questioned whether similar issues would not arise in any other political platform.
“I mean, if (Julius) Aburi was a problem, what makes him think the David Mark of ADC will not be a problem?
“What makes him think the chairman of Seriake (Senator Seriake Dickson) of NDC will not be a problem? So it’s the same thing wherever you go. Stay here and fix this problem. Now, let’s work together.
“And he decided to move. Now, with due respect, he does not own my politics. He does not own me. I am independent.”
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