Dele Momodu, has criticised Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 election, over recent remarks he made against members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.
Momodu spoke on Thursday during Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, where he reacted to Baba-Ahmed’s comments made a day earlier while declaring his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party.
During his declaration, Baba-Ahmed described members of the ADC coalition as “disgruntled politicians” and referred to some former Labour Party members who defected to the ADC as “political travellers.”
Reacting to the remarks, Momodu said he was surprised by the tone adopted by Baba-Ahmed, warning that political engagement should not be driven by personal emotions or grievances.
“He has a right to say whatever he wants, but I am very surprised by the way he talks down on other politicians,” Momodu said.
While acknowledging Baba-Ahmed’s constitutional right to aspire to the presidency, Momodu noted that the political landscape had changed significantly since the 2023 general election.
“He is free to contest, but he knows that today the Labour Party is not what it was during the last election,” he stated.
Momodu argued that Baba-Ahmed’s criticism of the ADC was rooted in frustration over his political ambitions within the emerging coalition.
“The reason he is aggrieved is that he is pursuing his personal ambition and understands that, within that coalition, it is unlikely to happen,” he said.
He further described Baba-Ahmed’s posture as emotional, likening it to that of a disappointed partner.
“I’m not bothered at all. He is an aggrieved person; he’s like a jilted lover. He ran with Peter Obi the last time and would expect to run again, but they should not turn themselves into serial contestants,” Momodu added.
The media entrepreneur cautioned politicians against narrow calculations, stressing that leadership ambition should be guided by national interest rather than personal expectations.
According to him, coalition politics requires compromise, strategy, and a clear understanding of the broader picture.
“Only serial contestants would fail to think about the larger picture,” Momodu said.
He cited former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to pick Peter Obi as his running mate in the 2019 presidential election as an example of political foresight.
“Long before Datti emerged, Atiku Abubakar, a visionary politician, recognised Peter Obi as a rising force in Nigerian politics and selected him in 2019, despite opposition from some governors,” he noted.
Momodu concluded by emphasising that winning elections depends largely on political structure and numerical strength, describing elections as “a game of mathematics,” and urged politicians to align with platforms capable of delivering electoral success.
Momodu Slams Baba-Ahmed Over ADC Comments, Describes Him as “Aggrieved” and “Jilted Lover”
