Datti Baba-Ahmed Claims Atiku's 2027 Presidential Ambition Would Have Succeeded with Obi's Support

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has expressed his opinion that Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, would have had a better chance of winning the 2027 presidential election if he had supported Peter Obi's presidential bid in 2023. In an interview on Channels Television's Inside Sources on Sunday, June 7, Baba-Ahmed stated that Atiku missed an opportunity to build long-term political goodwill by not backing younger politicians and waiting for his turn. According to Baba-Ahmed, President Bola Tinubu had successfully employed this strategy over the years. Baba-Ahmed suggested that if Atiku had thrown his weight behind Obi and the Labour Party ticket in 2023, he would have been prepared to support Atiku's presidential ambition in 2027. 'If in 2023 elections, he took everyone by surprise, played the kind of things Tinubu would typically do, call Peter Obi and me and say, 'Hey, guys, you are my juniors, I'll support you guys. No 2027 for you,' Wallahi, I would have agreed, and I would have told Peter Obi to agree, and Atiku would have been the 2027 president of Nigeria if so had happened,' Baba-Ahmed said. He also noted that some politicians become consumed by presidential ambitions, adding that once they enter that mindset, they tend to see themselves as President. Baba-Ahmed pointed to Tinubu's political trajectory as an example of patience and strategic alliance-building. He noted that the president had, at different times, provided political platforms for other aspirants while waiting for his own opportunity to seek the presidency. 'He didn't mind to plan for that long. When in 2007, he gave a platform to Atiku, we knew what he was doing,' Baba-Ahmed said, adding that Tinubu's support for key political figures over the years ultimately strengthened his own presidential project. According to him, Tinubu's patience was rewarded in 2023, a quality he believes is lacking among many politicians currently seeking power. Baba-Ahmed also criticised opposition coalition leaders, saying he had previously warned them against overconfidence ahead of the 2027 elections. 'They didn't have a Buhari, this coalition. And I told them if you don't have a decent outlier, people will find it difficult to rally around him. Did they listen to me? They took offence,' he stated. He further warned that President Tinubu's political experience and understanding of power dynamics could pose a significant challenge to opposition efforts ahead of the next general election.