Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has sharply criticized the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, calling it “evil” and accusing his former running mate, Peter Obi, of aligning with those responsible for creating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In an interview with Daily Trust, Baba-Ahmed condemned Obi for leaving the Labour Party to join the ADC and forming alliances with individuals he says were instrumental in establishing the APC, which he described as a “dragon destroying Nigeria.”

“Almost everyone in the ADC today, except Peter Obi, are the very people who helped create the APC misruling Nigeria,” Baba-Ahmed said. “These are the same individuals behind the APC dragon currently wreaking havoc in the country. Fundamentally, nothing has changed about them. One of them is even in prison.”

When asked whether Nigerians will face a choice between two evils in the 2027 election, Baba-Ahmed acknowledged that while there are some figures he respects within the coalition, “The ADC is a lesser evil compared to the APC.”

“There are people I admire greatly—Atiku Abubakar, for instance. Amaechi is a fighter, a lion, an achiever. With the right environment and allies, he can succeed. But aside from Obi, the ADC consists largely of the same APC actors from 2015,” he added.

Baba-Ahmed’s remarks came shortly after Obi’s defection from the LP to the ADC on December 31. Prior to Obi’s move, Baba-Ahmed had already expressed skepticism, stating that politicians joining the ADC coalition were primarily driven by personal interests.