2027: I would have asked Obi to step aside for Atiku — Datti

By Lawrence Agbo

Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that he would have persuaded Peter Obi to step aside for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential race if Atiku had backed the Labour Party ticket during the 2023 election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, Baba-Ahmed argued that Atiku missed a major political opportunity by failing to support Obi and instead pursuing his own presidential ambition under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, had Atiku adopted the long-term political strategy often associated with President Bola Tinubu and thrown his weight behind Obi in 2023, he would have earned enough goodwill to become the consensus candidate of the opposition in 2027.

“If in the 2023 election he had called Peter Obi and me and said, ‘You are my juniors, I will support you, but there will be no 2027 for you,’ I would have agreed, and I would have told Peter Obi to agree,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He added that such a move would have positioned Atiku as the leading beneficiary of opposition support in the next election cycle.

Reflecting on Tinubu’s political journey, Baba-Ahmed said the president demonstrated unusual patience by repeatedly supporting other politicians for the presidency while waiting for his own turn.

He cited instances where Tinubu provided political platforms for Atiku in 2007 and former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, describing the moves as part of a calculated long-term strategy that eventually worked in Tinubu’s favour.

“Tinubu was patient. He understood timing and knew how to build political obligations over time,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed argued that many leaders within the emerging opposition coalition lack that level of patience, noting that only former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi appears willing to play the long game.

The former lawmaker also warned opposition figures against becoming overly confident about their chances in 2027, insisting that Tinubu remains a formidable political strategist capable of countering coalition plans.

According to him, one of the coalition’s biggest weaknesses is the absence of a unifying figure with the widespread appeal that Buhari once commanded.

“They don’t have a Buhari in this coalition,” he said, adding that voters often rally around candidates who stand out from the traditional political establishment.

Baba-Ahmed maintained that he had previously cautioned coalition leaders about these challenges but said some members reacted negatively to his observations.