Publisher and political commentator, Dele Momodu, has taken a swipe at Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, over his recent verbal attacks on members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Momodu likened Baba-Ahmed’s outbursts to “the tantrum of a jilted lover,” insisting his comments betrayed deep-seated frustration.
Baba-Ahmed, while unveiling his 2027 presidential ambition a day earlier, had dismissed some ADC coalition members as “disgruntled politicians” and branded former Labour Party defectors now in the ADC fold “political travellers.”
Momodu said the remarks were unnecessary and unbecoming of someone seeking national leadership, warning that political engagement must rise above irritation and personal vendetta.
“He is free to say whatever pleases him,” Momodu remarked.
“But I am genuinely shocked at the way he talks down on others. Politics is not a playground for emotional flare-ups.”
The Ovation publisher noted that Baba-Ahmed remains at liberty to pursue his presidential dream.
However, he stressed that the Labour Party no longer enjoys the momentum it rode into the 2023 elections.
“He can contest if he wishes,” he said. “But he also knows the Labour Party today is a shadow of its old self.”
Momodu argued that Baba-Ahmed’s criticism stems from dashed expectations within the evolving opposition coalition structure.
“The truth is, he knows his aspirations may not fly in the current arrangement.
That is why he sounds aggrieved,” he added.
Labeling the former vice-presidential hopeful “a serial contestant in the making,” Momodu urged politicians to look beyond narrow ambition.
“He ran with Peter Obi and clearly thought the ticket would return to him.
“But politics is not a personal entitlement. Only those obsessed with running every cycle refuse to see the broader national picture.”
He said coalition-building demands concessions, broad thinking and readiness to work with unfamiliar allies — qualities he suggested Baba-Ahmed appeared unwilling to demonstrate.
Momodu recalled that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to select Peter Obi as running mate in 2019 was an example of strategic foresight.
“Before Datti came on the scene, Atiku recognised Obi’s rising national appeal and picked him despite opposition from powerful governors,” he noted.
The media executive concluded that elections come down to strength, structure and numbers.
“In politics, arithmetic wins,” Momodu said. “No one triumphs without a platform that can deliver votes.”