Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has suggested that Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed may be experiencing what he described as a “post-political identity crisis” following his 2023 partnership with Peter Obi.
Okonkwo made the comment during an interview on Arise TV’s Daybreak on Tuesday.
He was responding to recent remarks by Baba-Ahmed, Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, that none of the leading contenders for the 2027 presidency had the capacity to transform Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed had included Obi among those he believed lacked the capacity to move the country forward.
Reacting, Okonkwo said he understood why Baba-Ahmed had become critical of Obi, given their shared experience during the 2023 presidential campaign.
According to him, members of the movement entered the 2023 election with strong expectations that it would usher in a new political direction for Nigeria.
“I understand why he made his comment about Peter Obi,” Okonkwo said, arguing that the collapse of the political structure that supported their 2023 campaign could have contributed to Baba-Ahmed’s present position.
He recalled the enthusiasm surrounding the movement at the time, describing it as an unusual political mobilisation in which many supporters were motivated by what they could contribute rather than personal benefits.
Okonkwo, however, said the eventual breakdown of the Labour Party structure led to disappointment among some participants.
He attributed what he described as the political “trauma” experienced by members to what he characterised as Obi’s “incompetence and incapacity” to manage the affairs of the party.
According to Okonkwo, supporters had been prepared to provide resources for the political project but expected effective leadership in return.
He argued that the failure to provide that leadership contributed to the disillusionment that followed.
Okonkwo also referred to an earlier statement attributed to Baba-Ahmed, in which the former vice-presidential candidate reportedly said he could no longer do anything for Obi after the Labour Party experience.
The ADC spokesman interpreted that statement as an indication that Baba-Ahmed had lost confidence in Obi following developments within the party.
“I was there with him,” Okonkwo added, referring to his own participation in the 2023 political movement.
Baba-Ahmed served as Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform.
The pair’s campaign attracted significant attention ahead of the election, but political developments surrounding the Labour Party subsequently produced divisions among members and supporters of the movement.
As preparations for the 2027 election intensify, Baba-Ahmed has now questioned the capacity of leading presidential contenders to address Nigeria’s challenges, while Okonkwo continues to campaign for Atiku under the ADC platform.
