Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the National Secretary of the Labour Party, has declared that Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed are on equal footing as far as the party’s presidential ticket is concerned.
Ibrahim spoke during an interview with Trust TV, where he disclosed that the Labor Party presidential ticket isn’t reserved for any individual.
He said Baba-Ahmed, the party’s running mate in 2023, has a chance to contest for the ticket, stressing that he’s as qualified as his principal in the last election, Peter Obi.
The National Secretary also expressed his displeasure with Obi’s association with the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that the party will provide a level playing field for its presidential ticket in 2027.
ALSO READ: Datti raises concerns over ADC coalition – urges Obi to lead, not follow
“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,” he said.
Ibrahim says Obi may not pick LP’s ticket
The Labour Party chieftain warned that Obi may lose the chance of representing the party as its presidential candidate in 2027 if he continues to hobnob with the ADC.
“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 stated.
The development comes a week after Baba-Hamed declared that he would be forced to throw his heart into the presidential ring should Obi decide not to contest under the Labour Party platform.
ALSO READ: Datti Baba-Ahmed considers 2027 presidential ambition—on one condition
The Labour Party presidential running mate in 2023, who said the presidential ambition isn’t a desperate pursuit for him, reaffirmed his support for Obi, saying the latter deserves another chance to contest on the Labour Party’s platform.
