Datti Baba-Ahmed Dismisses Opposition Coalition Plans As Impossible Following Recent Ibadan Declaration Meeting

Labour Party's Datti Baba-Ahmed calls the plan for a single opposition candidate "impossible" and criticizes the Ibadan Declaration. Read his full reaction.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 29, 2026, 3:41 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Naija News

A Categorical Rejection Of Unified Strategy

The prospect of a consolidated opposition challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress has been met with stiff resistance from one of the Labour Party’s most prominent figures. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice presidential candidate, has formally dismissed the feasibility of opposition parties fielding a single presidential candidate in 2027. During a televised interview on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed characterized the notion of a unified front as a "lie," asserting that the logistical and political hurdles to such an agreement are insurmountable. His comments serve as a significant blow to recent efforts by various factions to harmonize their electoral interests ahead of the next national contest.

Critique Of The Ibadan Declaration Representation

Baba-Ahmed’s skepticism is rooted in what he perceives as a lack of inclusivity during the recent meeting of opposition figures in Ibadan. He pointed out that the gathering was primarily composed of members from only two parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress. According to the former lawmaker, a meeting involving such a narrow selection of stakeholders cannot legitimately claim to speak for the entire opposition bloc. He argued that for any coalition to be credible, it would require the participation and consent of all major anti-establishment groups, which was clearly not the case in this instance.

Internal Factionalism And Credibility Gaps

The internal health of the Peoples Democratic Party was a focal point of Baba-Ahmed’s critique regarding the coalition's viability. He noted that the PDP members who attended the Ibadan meeting represent only a specific faction of the party, specifically those aligned against the interests of Nyesom Wike. Because the PDP remains deeply divided by internal power struggles, Baba-Ahmed contends that no single faction can commit the entire party to a joint ticket. This fragmentation, he suggests, makes the promise of a "unified" candidate a strategic impossibility rather than a realistic political goal.