‘I was taken out of context’ — Datti Baba-Ahmed reacts to interview backlash
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed clarified on Friday that his comments during a recent television interview regarding presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections were misconstrued.
In an interview on Trust TV, Baba-Ahmed addressed remarks attributed to him, which suggested that he believed none of the candidates, including his former principal Peter Obi, could effectively improve Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed explained that during the interview, he had initially indicated to the interviewer his desired focus for the discussion. However, he felt that subsequent questions diverted him from that main point.
He recounted a specific question posed by Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye, who asked him what advice he would give to President Bola Tinubu. Baba-Ahmed responded that Tinubu should prepare to hand over power for the sake of fairness, to avoid unduly benefiting Atiku Abubakar. He noted that in the course of the conversation, the interviewer included Obi in the discussion. Under pressure and in a rush, Baba-Ahmed said he affirmed this addition, which led to misunderstandings among viewers.
“This was the context behind the remark that was reported as Peter Obi can’t improve Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
