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Peter Obi Fires Back at Datti Baba-Ahmed: ‘I Improved Anambra, I Can Do Same in Nigeria’
Peter Obi has responded to criticism from his former 2023 running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, by pointing to his record as governor of Anambra State and arguing that his achievements there demonstrate what he could do for Nigeria if elected president in 2027.
The latest exchange between the two former Labour Party presidential running mates has added a fresh dimension to the increasingly competitive political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 election, recently said that none of the major politicians challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 has the capacity to improve Nigeria, specifically including Obi.
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast, Baba-Ahmed advised Tinubu to prepare to leave office but argued that the President should not hand over to the politicians currently challenging him.
He specifically mentioned Obi, arguing that the former Anambra governor had previously been part of the political establishment.
“Because none of them will improve Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed said, according to reports of the interview. He added that the politicians challenging Tinubu had at some point been “in bed together,” including Obi.
Obi Responds With Anambra Record
Obi has now pushed back against that assessment, pointing to his record during his time as governor of Anambra State.
According to reports from his appearance on Arise News, Obi argued that his performance in Anambra provides evidence that he has the capacity to deliver similar improvements at the national level.
The former governor referenced his record in areas including development, management of public resources, tackling corruption and strengthening law enforcement, arguing that his experience in Anambra demonstrates what he could achieve if given the opportunity to govern Nigeria.
Obi’s response effectively shifts the debate from political affiliations to performance in office.
His argument is that voters should assess his presidential ambition not only through the political parties he has belonged to but also through his record in government.
From Running Mates to Political Rivals
The disagreement is particularly significant because Baba-Ahmed and Obi were political partners only three years ago.
The pair contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, finishing third behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Their political paths have since diverged considerably.
Baba-Ahmed subsequently left the Labour Party and joined the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), while Obi moved through the opposition realignment and is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
The former allies are therefore approaching the next presidential contest from different political platforms and with increasingly different assessments of Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
Datti Questions the Opposition’s Capacity
Baba-Ahmed’s criticism extends beyond Obi.
The former lawmaker also questioned the capacity of other major opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to deliver the kind of political transformation he believes Nigeria needs.
He argued that many of the politicians currently positioning themselves as alternatives to Tinubu have previously been part of Nigeria’s established political system.
Baba-Ahmed said he was instead advocating what he described as a “new Nigeria”, while highlighting his own political history as evidence that he had never been a member of a ruling party.
He maintained that although he was previously associated with the Congress for Progressive Change, he left before its merger with other parties that eventually produced the APC.
Obi’s Anambra Argument
Obi’s response places his record in Anambra at the centre of the debate.
The former governor has consistently used his tenure in Anambra as a reference point when discussing his suitability for national leadership.
His latest response suggests that he wants the 2027 contest to be judged partly on the basis of what candidates have previously achieved in public office, rather than solely on their party history.
That argument could become increasingly important as the election approaches and Nigerians compare the records, policies and governing philosophies of the leading contenders.
2027 Opposition Politics Takes Shape
The exchange between Obi and Baba-Ahmed comes at a time of significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 election.
President Tinubu is seeking a second term under the APC, while Obi has emerged as the NDC’s presidential candidate.
Atiku Abubakar is also positioning himself as a major opposition contender under the African Democratic Congress.
Baba-Ahmed’s latest intervention shows that disagreements within Nigeria’s opposition movement are no longer limited to party structures. Former political allies are increasingly challenging one another’s records, strategies and claims to represent an alternative to the ruling party.
For Obi, however, the response is clear: his past performance in Anambra, rather than his former party affiliations, should be part of the evidence voters use to judge whether he can govern Nigeria.
As the 2027 election approaches, the growing exchange between the former Labour Party allies could become another significant storyline in the battle for opposition influence and voter support.
The question now is whether the political disagreement between Obi and Baba-Ahmed will remain a war of words or develop into a broader debate over the records and governing credentials of Nigeria’s presidential contenders.
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