Former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, on Monday, said he has no regrets about supporting Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, describing the decision as a stand for unity, forgiveness and trust among Nigerians.
NEWSNGR reports that Baba-Ahmed stated this while delivering a keynote address at the second Bala AbdulKadir Mohammed Colloquium held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre in Bauchi.
The event marked the 68th birthday of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
Reflecting on the 2023 election, Baba-Ahmed said his decision to serve as Obi’s running mate stemmed from his belief that fundamental questions about Nigeria’s leadership and democratic future needed to be addressed.
He maintained that Obi was constitutionally qualified to contest the presidency and said his support was ultimately motivated by what he considered to be Nigeria’s need for unity.
Baba-Ahmed stated, “Up till today, I have no regrets supporting Peter Obi. Fundamental questions were answered. He is a Nigerian, he is in the constitutional line to sit. That is the doctrine.
“I stood for Nigeria in 2023 to need to show forgiveness, and unity, and trust in each other.”
The former vice-presidential candidate also urged Nigerians to develop the courage to challenge oppression and injustice, saying leaders should not be praised merely to boost their egos.
He argued that celebrating leaders should also involve identifying and promoting the qualities that make them capable of serving the people.
“There is a duty in appreciating leaders. Why you appreciate leaders is not to massage their ego. What is even more important is to educate others to appreciate, understand, see, and imbibe those single qualities. Nigeria is in need of leaders,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also expressed concern about the state of Nigeria’s democracy, arguing that the separation of powers between the executive and legislative arms had been weakened.
According to him, the situation had affected the National Assembly’s ability to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.
He called on Nigerians to become more involved in demanding accountability from those in authority and to resist a system dominated by a few powerful individuals.
“Why can’t the Nigerian people unite? Why can’t the Nigerian people work together? Why can’t the Nigerian people not stand for themselves, stand for themselves, fight for themselves?” he asked.
Baba-Ahmed further condemned what he described as a growing culture of oppression, bullying and injustice in the country.
He said both political leaders and citizens had a responsibility to resist such tendencies.
“The point is that we detest oppression. We detest cheating. We hate bullying. We need leaders that will stop it. Because now, oppression is getting into the DNA of Nigeria. Accepting oppression is getting into the DNA of Nigerian people,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to support public officials willing to speak out against injustice and defend citizens’ rights, even when doing so could threaten their political positions.
