Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed says his comments in a recent television interview about possible presidential candidates for Nigeria’s 2027 elections were taken out of context. He makes the clarification during an appearance on Trust TV on Friday, responding to backlash to earlier reports of what he said.
Across the reports, Baba-Ahmed is linked to claims that he said none of the major candidates—including his former principal Peter Obi—could improve Nigeria. He says the exchange happened as the interviewer’s questions shifted. Baba-Ahmed explains that he intended to address the focus he was given and answered briefly when additional names were inserted into the question while he was under time pressure.
Both outlets describe his position as a correction of how the remark was interpreted publicly. He adds that the substance of his response related to advising President Bola Tinubu to prepare for a transition to avoid giving undue advantage to other contenders, while the reported wording framed the answer as a broader judgment about candidates’ ability to improve the country.
