Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has argued that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could have significantly strengthened his political future had he backed Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme, Baba-Ahmed said a strategic alliance between Atiku and Obi in 2023 would have reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape and potentially positioned Atiku favourably for a future presidential victory.
According to him, if Atiku had chosen to support Obi and step aside during the last election cycle, many younger politicians within the opposition camp would have reciprocated that gesture when the time came.
“If in the 2023 elections, he took everyone by surprise, played the kind of things Tinubu would typically do, call Peter Obi and me and say, ‘Hey, guys, you are my juniors, I’ll support you guys. No 2027 for you,’ Wallahi, I would have agreed, and I would have told Peter Obi to agree,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He added, “Atiku would have been the 2027 president of Nigeria if so had happened. But once they enter that trance, they tend to see themselves as President.”
The former federal lawmaker drew comparisons with President Bola Tinubu’s long-term political strategy, describing it as an example of patience and careful planning.
He noted that Tinubu had repeatedly provided political platforms to key figures over the years while keeping his own ambitions in view.
Reflecting on past political developments, Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu’s decision to support Atiku’s political aspirations in 2007 was part of a broader strategy rather than a temporary arrangement.
“He didn’t mind to plan for that long. When in 2007, he gave a platform to Atiku, we knew what he was doing; it was not just the time for the South-West,” he stated.
“Uncle Tinubu does that a lot; he knows how to tie you with your own rope. ‘You just served eight years as Vice President. You want to come to my party? Please, take my party.’”
Baba-Ahmed further argued that the move later became politically useful for Tinubu during the 2023 election campaign.
“And he used it against him in the 2023 elections, because you tell those people that this is the man I gave a platform and he has already promised me that whenever it’s my turn, he will not challenge,” he said.
“That is enough for the deciders to read the judgment that was given.”
Continuing his analysis, Baba-Ahmed recalled how Tinubu remained consistent with his long-term calculations, extending support to other political figures, including the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Then in 2011, he gave another; then in 2015, he saw Baba Buhari, and then he calculated that since it is now North for eight years,” he said.
The former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate maintained that patience remained a key ingredient in political success and suggested that several members of the current opposition coalition lack that quality.
“And that patience, those in this group (coalition), except Amaechi, don’t have it. Amaechi seems to have been biding his time, but the real topshot over there, if only he were able to wait, measure, play things out,” he added.
Baba-Ahmed also revealed that he had warned members of the opposition coalition against becoming overly confident about their prospects ahead of future elections.
According to him, President Tinubu possesses a deep understanding of political manoeuvring and would likely counter any strategy put forward by the coalition.
“They didn’t have a Buhari, this coalition,” he said.
“And I told them if you don’t have a decent outlier, people will find it difficult to rally around him. Did they listen to me? They took offence.”
His remarks have once again reignited discussions about opposition unity, coalition politics, and the strategic decisions that shaped the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, as political actors continue to position themselves ahead of future contests.
