Amid internal tensions within the Labour Party, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the factional national secretary of the party, has asserted that the party’s 2027 presidential ticket is not exclusively reserved for any individual.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Ibrahim criticised Peter Obi’s growing relationship with leaders of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress, warning that such alliances could cost him the party’s endorsement in the next presidential election.
“Datti is qualified to contest for the presidency as good as Peter Obi. So, the seat of that candidacy is not reserved for anybody. It is open for a competitive contest,” Ibrahim said, referring to Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate.
He stressed that the Labour Party will provide a level playing field for all aspirants, including Baba-Ahmed, should he choose to run.
“If Datti is willing to aspire for presidency and he wants to do that under the Labour Party, we will open it. Come and buy the form, mobilise his support and then get elected. But the only thing is that if those people didn’t come back to us, they lose that opportunity because there’s no way you’ll continue to romance with other political party and then you still come back and your one leg is in the Labour Party. No, ab initio, you may be disqualified,” he said.
Ibrahim’s comments follow Baba-Ahmed’s recent declaration of interest in the 2027 presidential race, conditional on Peter Obi’s decision not to run. Despite indicating willingness to step up, Baba-Ahmed has reiterated that he is not desperate for the position and has expressed continued support for Obi, saying the former Anambra State governor deserves another chance to contest under the Labour Party.
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