ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has defended his decision to leave the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party, insisting that his political choices are independent of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Obi in the 2023 presidential election, said many people wrongly assumed he would follow Obi’s new political direction. Speaking on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, he said his decision was based on conviction and not personal loyalty to any political figure.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi,” Baba-Ahmed said. “Peter Obi doesn’t own me. I’m independent.”
The former senator said he was not happy that Obi left the Labour Party amid its internal crisis, arguing that a leader should try to resolve problems within a political platform rather than abandon it. He questioned the logic of leaving one troubled party only to join another that could later develop similar problems.
Baba-Ahmed said he had already given Obi enough support during the 2023 election and believed the former Labour Party presidential candidate should have worked to stabilise the party after the polls. He argued that political movements built around individuals rather than institutions are unlikely to deliver lasting change.
His comments come amid continuing realignments in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general election. Obi, who remains one of the most prominent opposition figures in the country, has been linked to coalition efforts aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Baba-Ahmed’s move to the PRP suggests that the political alliance that powered the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign may be weakening. The Obi-Datti ticket drew strong support from young voters and urban communities under the Obidient movement, finishing third in the official results but significantly reshaping Nigeria’s political conversation.
The former vice-presidential candidate also said he agreed to run with Obi in 2023 partly out of sympathy after other prominent politicians reportedly declined to be Obi’s running mate.
Baba-Ahmed, a former senator representing Kaduna North and founder of Baze University, has long presented himself as an independent-minded politician. His latest remarks appear aimed at distancing himself from suggestions that his political future must remain tied to Obi’s.
The development adds another layer of uncertainty to opposition planning for 2027. While Obi’s supporters continue to push for a broad coalition, Baba-Ahmed’s comments show that not all former allies are prepared to move in the same direction.
