2027: ADC is a Grand Deception, Says Obi’s Running Mate Datti Baba-Ahmed

Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party and running mate to Peter Obi, has described the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “grand deception,” alleging that many of those who mismanaged Nigeria under the Muhammadu Buhari administration are now hiding under the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Friday night, monitored in Abuja, Baba-Ahmed said Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges stem from a flawed leadership recruitment system that has consistently produced corrupt and self-serving politicians.

Electoral Fraud at the Root of Nigeria’s Crisis

According to him, electoral malpractice has been the foundation of insecurity, corruption, and institutional collapse.

“Insecurity is derived from electoral fraud. Corruption is aggravated by the kind of elections we conduct. The destruction of our youth and our judiciary is guaranteed by the fraudulent electoral system we run,” he declared.

Baba-Ahmed was particularly critical of those who served under former President Buhari, arguing that they cannot now present themselves as credible reformers under the ADC.

Buhari Years and Abacha Connection

When reminded that some ex-Buhari officials are now in the ADC, Baba-Ahmed said Nigerians should not forget that Buhari himself once served as Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) during the General Sani Abacha regime.

He described the Abacha government as one of the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history, noting that the country is still recovering looted funds from that period. He further argued that Nigerians were grossly disappointed in Buhari after expecting integrity and justice but witnessing instead “corruption and corruption and corruption.”

“Everybody knows how corrupt that government was. Up till now, money is still being claimed by the federal government as stolen during that period. Those who came to power in 2015 were like wolves. Corruption started afresh, and the whole system was about party and campaign contributions,” he said.

The Buhari Political Ecosystem

Baba-Ahmed alleged that the political “ecosystem” surrounding Buhari was always driven by party money and campaign contributions, from 2003 until the APC’s victory in 2015.

“From 2003 to 2015, it was all about campaign contributions. Without party money, the ecosystem around him would starve. It happened in 2007, 2011, and again in 2015. When they got power, they were like wolves,” he noted.

Labour Party Loyalty and 2027

On the defection of Buhari-era politicians to the ADC, Baba-Ahmed was blunt: “They are deceiving us. The ADC is a deception. Those who ruined Nigeria between 2015 and 2023 cannot now come under a new platform and claim they want to fix the country.”

He reaffirmed his loyalty to Peter Obi and the Labour Party, making clear his stance ahead of 2027.

“I am in Labour Party, for God’s sake. I am a Peter Obi man, and I want him to contest again in 2027,” he stressed.