RismadarVoice Reporters
September 6, 2026
Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said the former Anambra State governor moved away from his political “comfort zone” despite his advice.
Baba-Ahmed disclosed this during an interview over the weekend while discussing how his perception of Obi has changed since their 2023 presidential campaign.
According to him, he advised Obi against joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that the party was not the appropriate platform for his political ambitions.
Baba-Ahmed said he personally approached Obi at the Yar’Adua Centre before the move and privately expressed his reservations about the decision.
“When he was going to join ADC, I had to go to Yar’Adua Centre ahead of him; I called him aside,” he said.
He recalled telling Obi that he believed the ADC was unsuitable for him and explained the reasons behind his position.
“And I told him, ‘This is the last time I’m coming to this place. I gave him my reasons. This is not a place for you.’ Was I wrong? I was proven right,” Baba-Ahmed said.
He cited Obi’s subsequent exit from the ADC as confirmation of his earlier concerns, noting that the former governor left the party within four months.
Baba-Ahmed also expressed reservations about what he described as inconsistencies in Obi’s political decisions and conduct.
He said he was uncomfortable with politicians taking positions that appeared contradictory.
“Now, I don’t like people who contradict themselves,” he said, while declining to delve further into his criticism of former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Baba-Ahmed said he could not have persuaded Obi to remain in the Labour Party because the former governor had chosen to move away from the political position he had previously occupied.
“Peter Obi moved out of his comfort zone against my advice. Beyond that point, I could no longer help him,” he said.
Obi and Baba-Ahmed contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, finishing third behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
