Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that he once advised Peter Obi to work with former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as part of efforts to build a stronger opposition ahead of future elections.

Baba-Ahmed made the disclosure during an interview on Symfoni TV, explaining that the conversation took place in January 2024, shortly after the 2023 presidential election.

According to him, he personally approached Obi to discuss his post-election political plans and urged him to consider forming broader alliances if he did not already have a clear strategy.

He said he believed that cooperation between opposition figures would be necessary to mount a credible challenge to the ruling party in future elections.

“I tracked him and asked him, ‘What is your plan going forward?’ When I didn’t get a clear plan, I said, ‘If you don’t have a plan, sir, work with Kwankwaso,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed explained that his recommendation was based on the belief that winning national elections requires long-term planning, coordination, and coalition-building among key political actors.

He also argued that President Bola Tinubu’s political success was the result of years of sustained organisation and strategy rather than short-term efforts.

“Tinubu organised for 16 years. You cannot be planning from day to day or week to week,” he said.

The former vice-presidential candidate added that despite internal disagreements within the Labour Party after the 2023 elections, he has remained supportive of Peter Obi and continues to engage in efforts aimed at strengthening opposition politics in Nigeria.