Meet Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi’s running mate

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Friday unveiled Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate.

Obi who announced Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate at exactly 11.01 am, said both of them have began the process to rescue and rebuild Nigeria, from the ruins of misrule by the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“We must ensure that this country is secured, united and productive. It has been done in many emerging nations before, it is not rocket science,” he declared.

“ We are young, energetic and committed the vast land of the North into our future crude oil. From Maiduguri to Abuja, we saw a vast land and we must unlock this missing asset.”

He disclosed that Kano and Kaduna will remain the processing centers for the country.

He expressed his confidence in the ability of the running mate to utilize his wealth of experience in the rescue Nigeria project.

“ He is a young man, and we know what he can do. He cannot have a P.hD in Economics for nothing”

Meet Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed is 46 years old, with rich background as an academician, a businessman and politician.

He had served as member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, and was elected Senator for Kaduna North, in Kaduna State, Nigeria in April 2011 running on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) ticket.

While most of those aspiring to rule Nigeria in 2023 are claiming loss of academic credentials, the Labour Party vice presidential candidate boasts of four verifiable degrees.

Read also: How unproductivity, bad governance worsen Nigeria’s woes – Peter Obi

They include a BSc and MSc in Economics from University of Maiduguri, an MBA from University of Wales, Cardiff, capping it with a successfully defended PhD studies, in 2006, earning the title of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Westminster.

After his service year at University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, he worked as Projects Co-ordinator, Baze Research and Data Services Ltd. and as Officer II in the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, Lagos.

He also worked as a Banking Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Plc from July 1997 to Dec 1998, thereafter, went back to become the Managing Director of Baze Research and Data Services Ltd in July 1999 – January 2003, before venturing into politics.

In 2011, Datti Baba-Ahmed established Baze University, an independent University located in Abuja, Nigeria.

Using his studies abroad as a benchmark, he noted that the Nigerian educational system was “appalling”. This inspired the birth of Baze University, “to contribute towards fixing the system in order for Nigeria to realize its potentials and address various challenges”.

The politician- cum businessman, is a well accomplished philanthropist, with many corporate social responsibility projects.

It is on records that he built and donated two junior secondary schools with total capacity of 4,000 students, where about 6000 students have so far graduated.

In 2015, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed was appointed as Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Hope Alive Foundation – which campaigns for post-service economic survival of corps members who suffered permanent disability during service, amongst several responsibilities he has held so far.

In 2019, he contested the Presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, which was eventually won by Atiku Abubakar, with Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate.

He is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Baze University, as well as Managing Director, Baze Research & Data Service Ltd

Other positions held include Chairman, Baze Construction Ltd.

His companies is said to presently employ a total of over 1000 people including expatriates, and highly skilled professional Nigerians from the Diaspora.