Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has maintained that northern voters are unlikely to embrace the Nigeria Democratic Congress ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
It was reported that Baba-Ahmed, in an interview with Symfoni TV, also cautioned Obi’s supporters, the Obidients, against launching attacks on him over his position.
The economist said his assessment was based on his first-hand experience as Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
“First, these people (Obidients) are always eager to attack. I said it is very unlikely that the North will support Peter Obi, very unlikely because I know what I have faced,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed recounted how he had to defend Obi against allegations that his government in Anambra made northerners carry identity cards, shortly after he became his running mate in 2022.
He said the campaign also had to deal with the demolition of a mosque in Anambra and a leaked audio in which Obi was heard repeatedly saying “Yes Daddy” to Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church.
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According to him, he personally led efforts to calm the North over the issues.
“I smuggled him to Borno, to the Caliphate, to Kano, to Zaria to market him. So I sorted that problem of ID card, mosque demolition, ‘Yes Daddy,’” he said.
The former running mate argued that Kwankwaso would find it difficult to defend Obi in Kano, having once challenged him over the alleged mistreatment of northerners in Anambra.
“How will he now go to Kano and contradict himself, ‘No, no, no, it is not what happened?’” Baba-Ahmed asked.
He stood by his view that the controversies from 2023 could still hurt Obi in the North, and warned the Obidients against turning on him.
“They (Obidients) shouldn’t start that nonsense with me that they will start attacking me because I have more damaging things to say,” he said.
