A former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Mr Baba-Ahmed, who was the running-mate to Peter Obi in the last election, said he was prepared to offer himself for service to Nigerians without following anyone’s “political trajectory.”

He made the declaration while addressing journalists after a rally at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

“I have made myself available to contest the office in 2027. I am not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes,” he said.

He recalled that he had earlier nursed presidential ambitions even before Mr Obi emerged as the LP standard bearer in 2023.

“Before His Excellency Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I had already aspired to be president. The records are there for you to see,” Mr Baba-Ahmed stated.

He noted that while he made his intention known, he would comply strictly with party and electoral processes.

“As a law-abiding citizen and loyal party member, until INEC releases the timetable and the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything further,” he said.

His declaration came days after Mr Obi announced his resignation from the LP to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC). 

Mr Obi had defected to the ADC, declaring readiness to join forces with like-minded Nigerians to resist electoral malpractice ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, Mr Baba-Ahmed said he would not be joining Mr Obi in the ADC.

He stated that he once contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries before aligning with Obi in the LP.

“In October 2018, I participated in the PDP primaries in Port Harcourt. I walked up to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. He is a gentleman,” he said.

According to Mr Baba-Ahmed, he decided to run with Obi in 2023 based on his belief in national unity and to move Nigeria forward.

“I saw a rare opportunity for national unity with the election of Peter Obi in 2023, and that was why I decided to flow with it,” he said. 

Mr Baba-Ahmed also addressed questions about his religion and ethnicity, stressing that the constitution gives every Nigerian the right to contest.

“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. Yes, I am a Hausa man. But above all, I am a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest. I am doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.