Datti Baba-Ahmed, the running mate of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has said the latter and other politicians contesting against President Bola Tinubu cannot fix the country because they were the politicians that made Nigeria what it is today. 

Mr Baba-Ahmed made the remark during his appearance on Mic On podcast on Saturday.

“I will simply advise uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him. Tinubu should leave stage,” Mr Baba-Ahmed said when asked to advise Mr Tinubu on what to do. 

Mr Baba-Ahmed explained that opposition candidates, including Mr Obi, were once members of political parties that brought the country to its present state.

“None of them will improve Nigeria. All those people contesting against him too were all in bed together at some point or another — including Peter Obi. At some point, he was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ” Mr Baba-Ahmed said.

He added, “Tell me one politician who has never been in a ruling party. I’m the one. Have I ever been in a ruling party?” I have never been in a ruling party. When I was in CPC (Congress for Progressive Change), it was a little opposition party. I never had an APC (All Progressives Congress) membership card.”

Asked whether he missed his former political ally, Mr Baba-Ahmed said, “To an extent, I miss Peter Obi but I miss a good Nigeria. It is a shame that Peter Obi was drawn in (to the coalition).”

Since Nigeria’s return to Democratic rule in 1999, the PDP ruled for 16 uninterrupted years from 1999 to 2015, while the ruling All Progressives Congress ousted the PDP from power in 2015 and has remained in power.