Atiku has been chasing Presidency since My NYSC days — Datti Baba-Ahmed
Atiku has been chasing Presidency since My NYSC days — Datti Baba-Ahmed
Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential nominee in the 2023 election, has stated that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pursued Nigeria’s top office since his time in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Speaking on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Baba-Ahmed said Atiku’s presidential ambition dates back to their youth service years, noting that he was already seeking the position at the time.
He used the opportunity to argue for a generational shift in leadership, insisting that Nigeria has many competent citizens ready to tackle its problems but who are held back by a political structure he described as costly, hostile, and controlled by entrenched interests.
According to him, “When I was doing my NYSC, Baba Atiku was an aspirant, and in 2018, we contested the primaries together. In 2023, we contested again, with me as a vice-presidential candidate elsewhere, when his vice president had left him. And, for God’s sake, in 2027 again.
“There is a need for a new generation of Nigerian leaders, and they do exist. A whole new generation is waiting for a new leader to lead them to a new party.
“There are good Nigerians capable of solving Nigeria’s problems, but they are discouraged by an expensive, difficult and treacherous system filled with godfathers and broken promises.”
Baba-Ahmed also rejected reports suggesting he has declared interest in the 2027 presidential race. He explained that his recent comments were misinterpreted and that he merely restated his affiliation with the Labour Party.
“I never declared to contest the presidency, even though there could be a possibility of that happening. I certainly did not declare for the presidency. I simply reiterated my membership of the Labour Party,” he said.
He added that any decision regarding future electoral contests would be guided by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the stance of the party, advising Nigerians to disregard what he called exaggerated and misleading narratives on social media.
