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Former vice-presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has criticised his former running mate, Peter Obi, for leaving the Labour Party, arguing that political leadership demands resilience rather than withdrawal in times of internal conflict.
Datti, who ran alongside Obi in the 2023 presidential election, recently moved to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
While distancing himself from the APC’s governance approach, he insisted that responsibility must also be placed on opposition figures to demonstrate commitment to party-building.
He argued that Obi, having secured the Labour Party’s presidential ticket with relative ease, had a duty to remain within the party and address its internal challenges.
“Someone who got Labour Party tickets so easily should have stayed to fix the problems of Labour Party, however difficult they were,” Datti said.
The former lawmaker revealed that he had personally advocated for reconciliation within the party, even at the cost of public backlash.
“I stood, and I earned the wrath of many because I said, come and reconcile in Labour Party,” he noted, underscoring his position as one rooted in internal resolution rather than political exit.
Datti’s criticism sharpened further as he questioned Obi’s broader political philosophy, particularly a reported stance on walking away from conflict.
“Here’s my former leader, my boss whom I believed in so much, saying that wherever there’s a quarrel, he will walk away. So there’s a quarrel in Nigeria. You’ll walk away?” he asked.
He concluded that such an approach raises concerns about consistency and leadership responsibility.
The remarks come at a time of shifting alliances within Nigeria’s opposition landscape, with ongoing debates about party loyalty, leadership accountability, and the strategic direction ahead of future elections.
