Policy advisor and Global Investment Trading CEO Malam Baba Yusuf has said Peter Obi’s choice of running mate in 2023 weakened his electoral strategy, arguing that Datti Baba-Ahmed added little value to the ticket.
Speaking on Channels Television, Yusuf said that when analyzing the 2023 results, Obi’s decision to pick Baba-Ahmed stood out as a strategic misstep. He noted that while Obi secured over 200,000 votes in Kaduna, his running mate delivered only about 3,200 votes from his own Zaria constituency.
Yusuf said that for a candidate trying to build a national coalition, the vice-presidential pick needed to bring significant electoral weight.
He compared this with Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying that a Kwankwaso vice-presidential slot will be far more valuable given his strong base in the core north. He urged Obi’s supporters and the Kwankwasiya movement to focus on alliances and numbers rather than insults.
He said politics is won through calculated partnerships, and that ignoring electoral realities in the selection of running mates and allies would cost the opposition in 2027.
In his words, "I called Peter Obi the six million man. And it is also fair to say I call Atiku the seven million man. He got 6.9 million votes. This is not a fluke. This is not a joke.
"And if you sit down and you do the permutations of the mapping of this vote, the first mistake Peter Obi made was to carry Datti Baba-Ahmed as his VP. No electoral value. The guy could only give him 3,200 votes from Zaria constituency."
"Why am I saying so? Peter Obi did well in Kaduna. Over 200,000 votes. At the end of the day, what we want is for us to win. And that's why I'm justifying why a Kwankwaso as a VP is more valuable than a Datti. It's not personal. I've known Datti for years."
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