Peter Obi unveils Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate for 2023 presidential election

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has formally announced a former federal lawmaker, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, as his running mate in the 2023 general elections.

The development is coming less than 24 hours after a former presidential aide and Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential campaign, Doyin Okupe, announced his withdrawal as the Labour party’s Vice Presidential candidate.

Sometime in June, Okupe during a television interview announced himself as the party’s placeholder as the vice-presidential candidate.

Peter Obi made the announcement on Friday at an event to unveil the candidate in Abuja, saying the decision followed a series of consultations with stakeholders.

What Peter Obi is saying

• Peter Obi in his address said, “I thank all those gathered here today. They will bear witness and lay claim to being present on the day when the journey to Nigeria’s rebirth began. It is my honour to inform you, my fellow Nigerians and especially the OBIdients that finally, after very long and wide consultations, we in the Labour Party have found an eminently qualified Nigerian who will be my partner as we embark on our march to a secure, united and productive Nigeria.
• “I have the distinct honour of presenting to you, my friend and running mate, and God willing, the next Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who has been described as ‘one of Nigeria’s youngest and brightest personalities’ who has distinguished himself in various areas of human endeavours.”
• Going further, Obi said that the vice-presidential candidate brings to the mission great personal, academic and entrepreneurial strengths, as well as impeccable credentials with the added value of rich experience as an academician, businessman, public servant, economic and development expert, and politician.
• He described Baba-Ahmed as a recognised wealth creator and manager who fits well into the mould of a transformative and adaptive leader.
• “Today, I will not dwell too much on our national challenges. Yet, I will be remiss to gloss over them completely,” the presidential candidate stated. “These are extremely difficult times for our country. Nigeria straddles the lowest rungs of the global development indices. We are hugely indebted and the poverty capital of the world. Nigerians are hungry and angry and fed up with bad leadership. Times like this do not call for politics of business as usual.
• “As I have always said, my vision and mission is to give full expression to our democracy by moving our country from consumption to production. Now that the presidential team is complete, we will in the days ahead, unveil our governance principles, priorities, and programmes for turning Nigeria around, which shall be anchored on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
• “Securing, uniting, and making Nigeria productive require steady and trusted hands. I am confident that with Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed by my side, we shall ensure that in moving Nigeria forward, no state or community will be left behind. Pursuant to its statutory responsibility to protect, our government will promote the rule of law, ensure that governance is inclusive, cost-effective, transformative, less transactional, and national investments regenerative.
• “Finally, with human capital development as the core premise, we will pursue proactively, well-articulated strategies and intrusive policy coordination and implementation, aimed at tackling the key challenges that are routine and of utmost concern to domestic and foreign investors.”