Former Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has formally declared interest in contesting the presidency in 2027 general elections.

Baba-Ahmed made the declaration at a rally held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The declaration announcement is coming barely one week after Obi announced his departure from the Labour Party, LP, for the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

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Speaking to party members and supporters, Baba-Ahmed said his aspiration was neither reactionary nor dependent on Obi’s political decisions, adding that his presidential ambition predates the 2023 election.

“I have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes.

“Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Director of Information, Bala Ibrahim, has disclosed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike will be under Governor Sim Fubara if he defects to the party.

Ibrahim, however, said Wike will be given a seat in the APC if he decides to join.

In an interview on Trust TV on Wednesday, Ibrahim said: “He will be given a seat, there will be a place for him.

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“It’s a choice for him to be under Fubara, if you follow, you will be followed but if you don’t follow, nobody is going to follow you.

“When he was the governor he was followed, now that he is not the governor he must follow. You can’t carry the position of leadership after vacating the seat.

“He can’t get what he wants all the time, there are times that if you go against the laid down regulations, you can’t get what you want.”

Details have emerged regarding the recent closed-door meeting between the Tanimu Turaki-led national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under its newly elected National Working Committee (NWC), and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Turaki said that the visit was to introduce the new party leadership to Jonathan following their election at the National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.

Turaki described the former president’s response as “reassuring and very encouraging,” noting that Jonathan expressed a deep sense of obligation to the party.

“We have solicited, as usual, for his support, for his guidance, for his advice, as always.

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“We have his assurance that he’s still a card-carrying member of the PDP; he’s still active, and will even be more active these days in the activities and affairs of the PDP.

“He has assured us that PDP has done everything for him that can be done to an individual, and that he still feels that he remains obligated to PDP.

“His remarks and statements are not only reassuring, but indeed they are very encouraging as we begin to prepare for elections; off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun this year and 2027 general elections,” Turaki said.

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Turaki maintained that in spite of current internal crisis, the PDP remains the “most veritable platform” for winning elections in Nigeria.

“We still remain the leading opposition party in this country, and this new leadership of PDP is taking this party back to the people, who are the owners.

“In doing so there’s going to be level playing ground that’s going to be inclusivity. There will be no longer impunity and we are not going to allow people to take what does not belong to them,” he said.