Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed says Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, began contesting Nigeria’s presidency while he (Datti) was still serving in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, spoke in an interview on Channels Television.
Baba-Ahmed further urged Abubakar to step aside ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said politicians such as Atiku, who “practise an expensive form of politics”, discourage younger leaders with fresh ideas from participating actively.
“When I was doing my NYSC, Baba Atiku was an aspirant, and in 2018, we contested primaries together. In 2023, we contested again, I as a vice president elsewhere when his vice president had left him. For God’s sake, in 2027 again?” he said.
“There is the need for a new generation of Nigerian leaders, and they do exist.
“As I said, a whole new generation is waiting for a new leader to lead them to a new party. There are good Nigerians.
“There are people capable of solving Nigerian problems, but they are discouraged by the expensive, difficult, treacherous system full of godfathers and bad promises to make.
“But there are good Nigerians who are looking for that leader to lead them to fix Nigeria’s problems.”
Abubakar recently left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he is expected to use as his platform for the 2027 presidential election.
The ADC also includes Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, and Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State.