ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said only a candidate with impeccable character can defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed argued that Nigeria still has credible individuals capable of leading the country but lamented that many have stayed away from active politics.
“Whoever is going to defeat Tinubu must be somebody impeccable. And Nigeria has people with clean characters. And the crime we have committed against ourselves is those people staying away,” he said.
Revisiting the 2023 presidential election, Baba-Ahmed maintained that the Labour Party won the poll, drawing parallels with the annulled June 12, 1993 election.
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“Today in Abuja, you have the Moshood Abiola Stadium; you have Democracy Day because they believed that the late MKO Abiola won the election. The result of June 12 was never declared, yet they believed… So I believe we won the 2023 elections,” he said.
He also questioned the credibility of the electoral process, citing the shutdown of the IReV portal and alleging irregularities.
“If not, why was IReV switched off shamelessly? APC did not win the election, but the court has the power,” he added.
The former lawmaker further criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing it of poor governance and failing to improve the lives of Nigerians.
“My capital evidence that APC is behind this is that they have failed in everything. They have failed in improving our lives, and that is enough evidence,” he said.
He argued that governance failures, including insecurity and economic hardship, undermine confidence in the current administration.
“With the kind of wealth Nigeria has, why were two brigadier generals killed?” he queried.
Baba-Ahmed also warned that allowing flawed electoral outcomes to stand could weaken Nigeria’s democratic system.
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“If you allow that election to stay, that would be the end of democracy,” he said, accusing the government of undermining opposition parties instead of focusing on governance.
Meanwhile, he confirmed his decision to leave the Labour Party, citing internal disagreements and a departure from its founding principles.
“I am leaving the Labour Party tomorrow (today). There is more to it. What the Labour Party stood for then is no longer what it is today,” he said.
He disclosed that his defection would take effect at midnight, with the Peoples Redemption Party as his next political destination.
“I am leaving the Labour Party at midnight, and I am joining PRP. PRP is the new destination. PRP is the one with a history. It’s about 75 years old,” he stated.
The PRP, founded in 1978 by the late Aminu Kano, is regarded as one of Nigeria’s oldest political movements with a strong progressive ideology.
Baba-Ahmed was the running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party.