News
Only Obi can stop me from contesting presidency in 2027 – Datti-Ahmed
Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023,, on Wednesday, reiterated his vow to stay away from contesting the 2027 presidential election, except on one condition – Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the party in the same election is not running.
A guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS television network, on Tuesday, Datti-Ahmed, who represented Kaduna North at the Senate in 2011, had displayed his respect for the political power sharing norm between Nigerian North and South, saying Southern politicians having respected the arrangement in 2019, he was bound, as a Northerner to follow suit.
But the foremost educationist and economist, left a caveat – only when Obi, and one other politician from the South he declined to mention – would not be on the ballot, else he would throw his hat in the ring as he did in 2029.
“Look at my trajectory, and I’ve said this repeatedly, that in 2019 I aspired for the presidency and I lost, together with 11 others. I religiously supported Peter Obi and I would do so again in 2027, unless certain two people that I have tremendous respect for decide not to take it, and God Almighty in His infinite mercies keeps dropping it for me.
“Except if that happens, I can tell you Peter will contest for sure because he’s in the game, he contested before, I’ll support him. If he doesn’t, or another person that I won’t call his name from the South, if they don’t contest, otherwise I’m not ambitious. My key ambition is to stop the killings, stop the stealing, stop the slide,” he told his host on Tuesday.
Singing the same tune on Wednesday, this time on The Morning Brief, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, Datti-Ahmed said: “There are two key individuals that I have tremendous respect for; one is Peter Obi. I welcome him openly. The Labour Party welcomes him to still come and retain the Labour Party ticket and contest in 2027 with or without me. And the ADC is welcome to adopt a southern candidate.”
Datti-Ahmed’s clarification came on the heels of reports that the LP had offered him the party’s presidential ticket for the upcoming election, following his participation in the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Julius Abure faction on Monday.
Also speaking to this particular outing, which also raised much dust within the political circle, including speculations that he had dumped Obi and decided to team up with the Abure camp, he explained that such reading of his action was misplaced, as the party’s flagbearer was aware of his move, which was to reconcile the two camps.
Hear him: “Labour Party is not a party to walk away from, not a party to be abandoned or to be ignored. I assure you that every little step I take, concerned parties are aware. I don’t need to get too much into our internal operation, but give you a categorical answer — everyone that has to do with everything that I do is aware.
“I call for parties to get together and talk; that’s the way forward. When the parties meet, journalists will get the headlines of what was discussed. I’m a positive catalyst in this case. I’m bringing people together to unite, understand themselves, and make good efforts again to rescue Nigeria.
“Whoever is on a mission to change the meaning of my unambitious, clean actions are welcome to do (so). All they are doing is speaking out about their fears.
“His Excellency Peter Obi is aware. He probably has been too busy to update those around him. I speak with the boss, not with those who move around with him. Peter Obi is aware, please.”
Reiterating his desire to see Obi on the ballot in 2027, Datti-Ahmed, who also gave his assessment on coalition arrangement, Nigerian politicians including the former Governor of Anambra State, had since endorsed, stressed that he would be okay even if he was no longer favoured as his running mate, insisting that he would not be detained by his own ambition of pairing up with him again, as all he cared for now, was the survival and a secure and economically thriving Nigeria.
His words: “We want capacity. We want compassion. We want people who will develop Nigeria, leaders that matter, leaders that deliver promises, not those who will promise governance and deliver disaster.
“This is not an anti-party activity. It is an unfolding situation. The meaning of a coalition is that political parties, interest groups, and individuals are coming together. It’s an unfolding situation. I attended coalition meetings. Peter Obi is welcome to continue to attend those coalition meetings.”
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
-
Columns4 weeks agoAbike Dabiri: Did Obi raise a monster or you’re drunk on Tinubu’s poisoned chalice?
-
News3 weeks agoJandor: Tinubu didn’t endorses Hamzat *I’ve briefed President on my ambition
-
Columns4 weeks agoBe the hero that saved Nigeria! Open letter to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
Columns4 weeks agoNow VDM has become Sowore’s nemesis, does Peter Obi need anther advocate?
-
Features2 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
News1 day agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News3 weeks agoADC: Fight, scatter them! *Presidency goads Kogi lawmaker on Mark’s leadership