Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, has revealed he joined forces with the former Anambra governor out of sympathy after three prominent politicians declined to run with him.
In an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed disclosed that Obi approached three major politicians ahead of the 2023 polls, but all avoided the partnership.
“People don’t understand that between me and Obi, there is a great deal of sympathy. I have sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship,” he said.
He added: “When he approached three other major politicians in 2022, I would have been glad if one of them had gone with Peter Obi in 2022. But they all avoided him. I felt bad for him and I felt bad for Nigeria as a nation.”
Baba-Ahmed said he stepped in voluntarily because of his longstanding volunteer spirit and concern for the country.
“I took it upon myself because naturally I have always been a volunteer. For the sake of Nigeria, I extended that sympathy to him,” he stated.
The comments come as Obi continues to navigate new political alliances, having recently moved from the Labour Party to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after a brief stint in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
