Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed is a Nigerian economist and politician who served as Senator for Kaduna North from 2011 to 2012 and as a House of Representatives member from 2003 to 2007.
Datti was born in Zaria in 1976 to the Baba-Ahmed family. His father, Baba Ahmed, was an Arab cattle trader from modern-day Mauritania who later became a well-known professor and expert on Islamic jurisprudence.
Baba-Ahmed graduated from the University of Maiduguri in Borno states.
Afterwards, he worked in business and banking for several years after finishing school before entering politics.
Baba-Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Maiduguri in Borno State. Before entering politics, he worked in security printing and minting in Lagos.
He received the title of Doctor of Philosophy in 2006, while still a Federal Representative, after completing his PhD studies at the University of Westminster.
Political sojourn
Baba-Ahmed was elected to the Federal House of Representatives in April 2003 for the Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State. He ran on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
He became well-known for his principled activism. During President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, he was among lawmakers who opposed allowing Obasanjo to run for a third term.
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In May 2006, he stated that he would not run for reelection unless action was taken to investigate allegations that members were bribed to support the constitutional changes required for a third term as president.
He took the Independent National Electoral Commission to court in 2007 over the conduct of previous elections. He was well-known for his anti-corruption stance.
In September 2008, at an Islamic media forum in Abuja, Baba-Ahmed urged journalists to submit accurate reports without fear. He stated that corruption is widespread in the country and that special prayers and determination from all stakeholders are required to correct the situation. Baze Research and Data Services Ltd appointed Baba-Ahmed as Managing Director.
Baba-Ahmed received 366,398 votes in the April 2011 elections for Senator of Kaduna North. The incumbent, Senator Ahmed Makarfi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), finished second with 365,043 votes.
Yussuf was named as Peter Obi’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election by the Labour Party in 2022.
Zest for Education
Baba-Ahmed is the founder and Pro-Chancellor of Baze University, an independent university founded in April 2011 in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
Using his international studies as a benchmark, he stated that the Nigerian educational system was “appalling,” which inspired him to establish Baze University.
