Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party and running mate to Peter Obi, has dismissed the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “grand deception,” accusing the party of providing a safe haven for individuals responsible for Nigeria’s decline under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In an interview aired late Friday on Channels TV, Baba-Ahmed criticized the re-emergence of political figures linked to the Buhari administration, alleging they are now repositioning themselves within the ADC as reformers ahead of the 2027 elections.
He argued that Nigeria’s core challenges are rooted in a broken leadership recruitment system, which continues to produce corrupt, self-serving politicians.
“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 said.
Baba-Ahmed did not hold back in his criticism of Buhari’s tenure, calling it “one of the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history.” He recalled Buhari’s role in the notorious Abacha regime, noting that the country is still recovering stolen funds from that era.
“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 stated.
He further alleged that those surrounding Buhari were driven by greed and self-interest, and are now seeking political rebirth under the ADC banner.
“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,” Baba-Ahmed declared.
Reaffirming his allegiance to Peter Obi and the Labour Party, he concluded:
“I am in Labour Party, for God’s sake. I am a Peter Obi man, and I want him to contest again in 2027.”
