Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s 2023 Vice-Presidential candidate, has accused late former President Muhammadu Buhari of once threatening violence against him and residents of Kaduna State. The allegation was made on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he spoke about the country’s insecurity issues.
Baba-Ahmed recalled a conversation during their joint campaign in the 2011 elections, quoting the former president as saying, “you [will all be] soaked in blood. Kaduna is my state. There was serious violence in Kaduna. Many houses were burnt.” According to the Labour Party chieftain, this comment prompted him to refuse to campaign with Buhari, even though he eventually went on to win the senatorial seat.
Baba-Ahmed argued that the current insecurity ravaging Nigeria is a direct result of the desperation to remove former President Goodluck Jonathan from office in 2015. He alleged that foreigners were brought in from neighboring countries to facilitate Jonathan’s ousting, a strategy that he claims has led to the country’s ongoing security challenges. He stated, “They went and brought people from neighbouring countries in readiness to remove Jonathan.” He reiterated that this desperate political action is at the root of the problem.