Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has defended his decision to leave the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), insisting that his political choices are independent of former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, said he declined to follow the former Anambra State governor into the opposition coalition because he believed the internal crisis within the Labour Party should have been resolved rather than abandoned.
Speaking on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, Baba-Ahmed said many people assumed he would align with Obi’s new political direction, but he chose a different path based on his convictions.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi, but I had given enough sympathy then and I thought as a leader, what he should do then is to solve the problem out,” he said.
The former senator questioned the rationale behind leaving one political platform because of internal disagreements only to join another party that could face similar challenges.
“If Abure was a problem, what makes him think the Nwosu or the David Mark of the ADC will not be a problem? What makes him think the chairman of Seriake’s party, NDC, will not be a problem? It’s the same thing wherever you go. Stay here and fix the problem; let’s work together, and he decided to move,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
He stressed that his decision not to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside Obi was based on principles he had consistently articulated.
“With due respect, Peter Obi does not own my politics, he does not own me. I am independent,” he said.
According to him, he had informed Obi of his reasons for rejecting the move and chose instead to pursue his political future through another platform.
“And I said, alright sir. I have different reasons for joining you. If you want to move, go ahead. I gave my cogent and logical reason for not joining the ADC, all of which have come through,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed’s remarks come amid ongoing political realignments within the opposition camp as parties and political figures position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His decision to join the PRP marks a departure from the political alliance that propelled the Labour Party’s strong performance in the 2023 presidential election and underscores growing divisions among opposition figures over the best strategy to challenge the ruling APC in the next electoral cycle.
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