The opposition Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has named Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate.
Baba-Ahmed, the founder of Baze University, Abuja, was announced as the LP vice-presidential candidate in Abuja on Friday.
The 46-year-old was a former lawmaker who represented Kaduna North Senatorial district.
Baba-Ahmed’s announcement comes barely 24 hours after the Director-General, Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, announced his withdrawal as the LP Vice-Presidential candidate.
Okupe, who announced his withdrawal via his verified Twitter handle: @doyinokupe, noted that his party would announce the new running mate to the presidential candidate.
Okupe tweeted: “This afternoon I submitted my withdrawal letter from the position of the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party to INEC. A replacement will be announced by the national chairman of the d party shortly. I feel greatly blessed to have been part of the foundation of success 4 the LP.”
Recall that Dr Okupe was recently announced as a placeholder, pending the announcement of a substantive running mate.
The profile of the member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change reads:
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed is a 46-year-old Academician, Businessman and Nigerian politician. He was a 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 ticket, with a remarkable record of the credit of sponsoring important legislation in a very short time.
Baba-Ahmed has four degrees; a BSc and MSc in Economics from University of Maiduguri, a MBA from University of Wales, Cardiff and in 2006, he successfully completed his PhD studies, 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 worked as a Banking Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Plc from July 1997 to Dec 1998 and then came back to become the Managing Director of Baze Research and Data Services Ltd in July 1999 – January 2003, before venturing into politics.
In 2011, Senator 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”.
Senator Datti is a well accomplished philanthropist. Among many of his corporate social responsibility projects; he built and donated two junior secondary schools with total capacity of 4,000 students. It is worthy of note that the schools have graduated over 6,000 students to date.
In 2015, Senator 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.
Senator Baba-Ahmed is currently: Pro-Chancellor of Baze University; Managing Director, Baze Research & Data Service Ltd; Chairman, Baze Construction Ltd.
His companies employ a total of over 1000 people including expatriates, and highly skilled professional Nigerians from the Diaspora.
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