The vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has warned Nigerians against repeating in 2027 the mistake of 2015 whereby the ruling party was replaced by a worse government in the name of a coalition.
Baba-Ahmed’s warning was a veiled reference to the ouster of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party who was defeated by the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, a product of a merger of some opposition political parties which brought in late President Muhammadu Buhari.
In an interview on Friday on Channels Television programme, Politics Today, Dr. Baba-Ahmed lamented that he is still paying a heavy price for his attempt to unite the Labour Party.
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He also hinted that he might throw his hat into the ring for the presidency in 2027 if Peter Obi and one other person he refused to name would not be in the race, albeit depending on “If Nigeria is still around, and there is an electoral system to follow”.
Insisting that removing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office is not the problem, Senator Baba-Ahmed said the issue is what follows.
According to him, “Removing a government is no problem. As big as you see Tinubu is, as big as you see him, he can be defeated easily.
“He can be removed. Do you understand? That s not the problem. The problem is, what is going to follow? And I don’t want us to repeat 2015. Form the Coalition, deceive the whole world that here is a credible government that is coming, and then bring in the worst government Nigeria has ever seen”.
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On whether he would be running in 2027, the former vice-presidential candidate said, “My love for Nigeria is undying, mark that. I will appropriately associate with the groups and individuals I think are like-minded”.
Asked if he would still like to run with Peter Obi, he said “Absolutely!”, but reminded that “if you had heard what I was saying on air two months ago, there are two individuals I would succumb to. The first one has not said so, I’ll not say it on his behalf. The second one is Peter Obi; I’m always with Peter Obi, until he decides not to”.
Pressed further on the identity of the first person, Baba-Ahmed said, “I just told you that it’s not my place to say”. And when prompted if it was (Rotimi) Amaechi, he said “No, but Rotimi Amaechi is a good guy. He’s a good person”.
Reacting sharply to the suggestion of still running as vice president, he said, “By the way, why do you think I have to be a deputy?”
Though he admitted a zoning arrangement between North and South, Baba-Ahmed cautioned, “Yes, but don’t keep looking at me as a deputy please”.
He said, “Rotimi Amaechi is good, then you can forgive all past…. He’s one of those you can forgive because I think he’s someone that can always adapt. Peter Obi is always, always welcome. I am still paying a heavy price for going to call for unity in Labour Party and I am not regretting; I will remember it. I want to unite Labour Party; let him come back.
“The ADC, the coalition people over-assumed that by just mentioning we are going to form a coalition, everybody should not ask any question; just come in. I will not be one of those. I will ask the right questions, and I want you to give me the right answers before you convince me to go and repeat the same mistake of 2015”.