2027: Atiku has been contesting for presidency since my NYSC days — Datti Baba-Ahmed
The Labour Party's 2023 candidate for vice presidency, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, stated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been aiming for the presidency of Nigeria since his time in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The Labour Party's 2023 candidate for vice presidency, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, stated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been aiming for the presidency of Nigeria since his time in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Baba-Ahmed expressed this opinion during a conversation on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Friday, reminiscing that Atiku was already pursuing presidential ambitions during his service year.
He emphasized the necessity for a fresh wave of leaders in Nigeria, pointing out that many qualified individuals are eager to tackle the issues facing the nation, yet they feel disheartened by what he termed an expensive and challenging political landscape controlled by influential figures and unfulfilled commitments.
He commented, “While I was participating in my NYSC, Baba Atiku was already a candidate, and we ran against each other in the primaries in 2018. Again, in 2023, I competed, although I was running as a vice-presidential candidate elsewhere, after his vice president had departed from him. And, for heaven's sake, in 2027 again.
“There is a pressing need for a fresh crop of Nigerian leaders, which indeed exists. A completely new generation is looking for an innovative leader to guide them towards a new political party.
“There are excellent Nigerians who can tackle Nigeria’s issues, but they are deterred by a costly, challenging, and hazardous system that is riddled with powerful figures and unkept promises.”
The Labour Party official further rejected assertions that he had expressed intentions to run for the presidency in the 2027 elections.
He emphasized that he merely confirmed his commitment to the Labour Party and did not proclaim any aspirations for the presidency.
“I did not declare an intention to seek the presidency, although there is a chance that it might occur. I definitely did not state that I was running for president. I only reaffirmed my affiliation with the Labour Party,” he clarified.
Baba-Ahmed mentioned that choices about future elections would be contingent on the schedule set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party's stance, encouraging the public to disregard what he referred to as exaggerated stories circulating on social media.
Vanguard News
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