Baba Datti-Ahmed, the former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, has expressed doubt that the North will rally behind Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the 2027 presidential election. In a recent interview, Datti-Ahmed stated, "It is very unlikely that the North will rally around OK. That is my personal opinion."
Obi, the LP's 2023 presidential candidate, and Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, officially joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday. Datti-Ahmed revealed that he had initially advised Obi to engage Kwankwaso and other opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 elections. "I did say that I feel guilty because I was the one who told Peter Obi on the 31st of January 2024 in John Woods hotel, after asking him a few things, and I told him, 'Your excellency, from this point there is Kwankwaso, there is el-Rufai, there's another person I would like to suggest you to approach them,'" he said.
The politician added that he recommended the alliance as part of long-term political planning but noted that its viability remains uncertain. "If in 2024 you cannot plan 2027, I'm sorry, I cannot continue to be with you. So they are going together now with Kwankwaso, it's my idea. Do you understand? Will it work? I think it's a big question. We'll wait and see."
Leadership Dynamics and Challenges
Datti-Ahmed opined that the political dynamics of leadership roles within such an alliance could pose significant challenges. "You have a vice-president that is older than you, first of all in age, in education, in political profile, in so many other things. This is somebody with a burning ambition and temperament, who is going to be the president, actually? If you are presenting a ticket, throughout history, there's a certain configuration that it goes."
He also highlighted that expectations from Kwankwaso regarding future power rotation could create complications. "And then the intricacies of, all right, 'certainly 2031 is mine.' That doesn't play out well in any political contest," he said.
Obi's Departure from LP Criticized
Datti-Ahmed further criticized Obi for leaving the Labour Party instead of staying to resolve its internal crises. "Someone who got Labour Party ticket so easily, should have stayed to fix the problems of Labour Party however difficult they were. I stood and I earned the wrath of many because I said 'come and reconcile' in Labour Party. Only for me to hear, to read it, and to even view it in the news. Here's my former leader, my boss who I believe in, saying wherever there is a quarrel, he will walk away. So, there is a quarrel in Nigeria, you will walk away? These are things that don't add up," he said.
