Baba Ahmed
Ola Wale
Datti Baba-Ahmed, the former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has said sympathy rather than ideology was the main reason he accepted the offer to run on Peter Obi’s ticket. Speaking in a recent interview, he explained that his decision was not driven by a long-held political blueprint or a carefully calculated career move. Instead, he was moved by what he saw as an unusual moment in the country’s politics where a candidate like Obi was gaining organic support from ordinary Nigerians who felt ignored by the old political order. That wave of public enthusiasm, he said, created a sense of urgency and responsibility that made it difficult for him to decline the invitation.
Baba-Ahmed described Obi’s campaign as one that resonated deeply with young people, professionals, and citizens frustrated by years of unmet promises. He said the energy on the streets, on social media, and in everyday conversations showed him that Nigerians were desperate for a different kind of leadership. For him, turning down the opportunity would have felt like abandoning that collective hope. He admitted that he and Obi did not come from the same political background and did not share identical policy frameworks on every issue, but the moment demanded unity more than perfect alignment. That, according to him, is where the sympathy came in — sympathy for a populace that had lost faith in the system.
He also noted that his own political history played a role in how he processed the decision. Baba-Ahmed has been involved in politics for years and has criticized both the APC and PDP at different times. When Obi’s movement began to gain momentum, he saw it as a rare chance for a third force to break the two-party dominance that has shaped Nigeria’s democracy since 1999. The idea of being part of an attempt to reset the country’s political trajectory appealed to him, even if it meant stepping outside his comfort zone. He said the campaign was less about ideology and more about timing — a convergence of public frustration and a candidate willing to listen.
The former VP candidate emphasized that ideology still matters, but Nigeria’s immediate problem in 2023 was governance failure and loss of public trust. He argued that elections are not won on manifestos alone; they are won when people believe someone understands their pain. Obi’s message of prudence, accountability, and moving Nigeria from consumption to production struck a chord, and Baba-Ahmed felt that aligning with that message was the right thing to do for the country. He said he approached the ticket with a sense of duty rather than personal ambition, which is why he describes his motivation as sympathy for the Nigerian people.
Baba-Ahmed also addressed questions about whether he regretted the decision after the election outcome. He said he does not, because the campaign forced important conversations about fiscal responsibility, electoral integrity, and citizen participation. Even if the result did not go their way, he believes the movement shifted the political conversation and showed that Nigerians are willing to organize around issues rather than ethnicity or patronage. For him, that outcome validates the choice he made, even if it was born out of sympathy rather than a rigid ideological match with Obi.
He clarified that sympathy in this context does not mean pity, but a shared sense of concern for a nation at a crossroads. He saw millions of Nigerians, especially young voters, investing emotionally in the process and felt compelled to stand with them. Politics, he said, is not always about perfect policy alignment; sometimes it is about showing up when the country needs alternatives. That sense of obligation outweighed any personal calculations about political branding or future office. He maintained that leaders must sometimes act on conscience when institutions are failing.
In retrospect, Baba-Ahmed said the 2023 experience taught him that Nigeria’s political future will be shaped more by moments of collective empathy than by traditional party ideology. He believes Obi’s candidacy revealed a hunger for integrity and competence that transcends party lines. While he and Obi may still differ on certain policy details, he remains proud of the decision to join the ticket because it was rooted in concern for the people. His message now is that Nigerians should continue demanding leaders who respond to public need first, and let ideology follow that commitment rather than lead it.
