ADC-Led opposition ‘deceiving us,’ says Datti Baba-Ahmed

Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led coalition of opposition parties, describing the alliance as deceptive.

Baba-Ahmed, who was the running mate to Peter Obi in last year’s presidential election, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

When asked about his position on the coalition, he replied: “They are deceiving us.”

The former vice-presidential candidate distanced himself from the group, stressing his loyalty to the Labour Party.

“I am a Labour Party man, for God’s sake. I am Peter Obi’s man. I still want Peter Obi to come back to the Labour Party and contest in 2027,” he said.

Turning to the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Baba-Ahmed criticised the commission for lacking credibility and competence, accusing it of undermining the constitution during the 2023 polls.

“Not somebody who clearly read what the constitution provides — 25 percent in at least two-thirds of states of the federation and the FCT — but went ahead to breach it and put Nigeria in what it is today,” he said.

According to him, electoral malpractice remains the root of Nigeria’s challenges.

“The electoral fraud is right now the most important fact to be addressed in our life as a nation, even beyond insecurity,” he said.

“Insecurity is derived from electoral fraud. Corruption is aggravated by the kind of electoral fraud that we have.”