Datti: ADC Faces Toughest Test in Picking Presidential Candidate
Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, says the biggest challenge facing the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will be its struggle to select a presidential candidate.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed warned that the enthusiasm surrounding the coalition must be tempered with strategic thinking, citing potential internal tensions as aspirants jostle for the ticket.
“Don’t be consumed by the excitement — manage it. Right now, it is all about the excitement,” he said. “Understandably so, Nigerians are depressed as they are oppressed. This excitement can easily consume everyone. Hold back and think critically.”
Baba-Ahmed compared the ADC coalition to the political merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, noting that APC had a clear frontrunner in Muhammadu Buhari long before its primaries.
“There are structural misgivings in the coalition as it is today. Buhari was the distant anointed from ab initio. The convener (Tinubu) supported him. He understands that when Buhari leaves, he will become (president),” he said.
“This opposition does not have a distant anointed (candidate). There will be a very close gap and tight struggle for it (presidential candidate). Possibly, not so clean primary and struggle for it. The question is what will be the aftermath.”
The ADC was recently adopted by key opposition figures — including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir el-Rufai — as the coalition platform for the 2027 general election.
Baba-Ahmed said he is open to joining the coalition while remaining a member of the Labour Party, adding that he supports its objectives.
