Atiku Has Sought Presidency Since NYSC, Datti Baba-Ahmed Claims

Atiku Has Sought Presidency Since NYSC, Datti Baba-Ahmed Claims

Labour Party chieftain Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been pursuing Nigeria’s presidency since his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days, describing the country’s political landscape as overdue for generational change.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Baba-Ahmed claimed that Atiku was already a presidential aspirant during his service year, stressing that the repeated bids reflect a system resistant to new leadership.

“When I was doing my NYSC, Baba Atiku was an aspirant. In 2018, we contested the primaries together. In 2023, we contested again, with me as a vice-presidential candidate elsewhere, when his vice president had left him. And now, for God’s sake, in 2027 again,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed argued that Nigeria needs a new generation of leaders capable of addressing the nation’s deepening economic, political and social challenges. However, he lamented that many qualified Nigerians are discouraged by what he described as an expensive, difficult and treacherous political system dominated by godfathers and broken promises.

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“There are good Nigerians capable of solving Nigeria’s problems, but they are discouraged by a system filled with godfathers and unfulfilled commitments,” he added.

The Labour Party leader also dismissed speculation that he had declared interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election, clarifying that he merely reaffirmed his membership of the party without announcing any ambition.

“I never declared to contest the presidency, even though there could be a possibility of that happening. I simply reiterated my membership in the Labour Party,” Baba-Ahmed stated.

He noted that decisions regarding future elections would depend on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable and the party’s official position, urging Nigerians to disregard what he described as sensational online narratives.

Atiku Has Sought Presidency Since NYSC, Datti Baba-Ahmed Claims