The Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been aspiring to lead Nigeria since his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days.
Baba-Ahmed made the remark on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he recalled that Atiku was already a presidential aspirant during his service year.
According to him, the former vice president has repeatedly sought the nation’s top office over the years, including during the 2019 and 2023 election cycles, and is again linked to the 2027 contest.
“When I was doing my NYSC, Baba Atiku was an aspirant. In 2018, we contested the primaries together, and in 2023, we contested again,” Baba-Ahmed said, adding, “For God’s sake, in 2027 again.”
He argued that Nigeria urgently needs a new generation of leaders, insisting that many capable Nigerians are willing to address the country’s challenges but are discouraged by the nature of the political system.
“There is a need for a new generation of Nigerian leaders, and they do exist. A whole new generation is waiting for a new leader to lead them to a new party,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed described the political environment as expensive and difficult, alleging that it is dominated by godfathers and characterised by broken promises, which he said discourages credible individuals from participating.
The Labour Party chieftain also dismissed reports suggesting that he had declared interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election.
“I never declared to contest the presidency. I simply reiterated my membership of the Labour Party,” he said, adding that any future political decision would depend on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timetable and the position of the party.
He urged the public to disregard what he described as sensational narratives circulating on social media regarding his political ambition.
