Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has criticized the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition, branding it as deceptive and untrustworthy.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential elections, made his comments during a televised interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Reacting to a question about the ADC coalition, he said: “They are deceiving us.”
He quickly emphasized his unwavering loyalty to the Labour Party, stressing that he had no ties to the coalition. “I am a Labour Party man, for God’s sake. I am Peter Obi’s man. I still want Peter Obi to come back to the Labour Party and contest in 2027,” Baba-Ahmed affirmed.
The former senator also raised concerns about Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under its current leadership. He accused the electoral umpire of failing to uphold constitutional provisions during the 2023 presidential election.
“Not somebody who clearly read what the constitution provides—25 per cent in at least two-thirds of states of the Federation and the FCT—but went ahead to breach it and put Nigeria in what it is today,” he explained.
He linked Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and corruption to flawed electoral practices. “The electoral fraud is right now the single most important fact to be addressed in our life as a nation, even beyond insecurity. Insecurity is derived from electoral fraud. Corruption is aggravated by the kind of electoral fraud that we have,” he said.
In response, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed Baba-Ahmed’s remarks, saying: “When he begins to make sense, we will respond.”
This sharp exchange underscores the deepening disagreements within Nigeria’s opposition politics as parties begin early preparations for the 2027 polls. Frontpagenews.ng reports that Baba-Ahmed’s comments reflect the larger debate on opposition unity and electoral credibility.
