Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said President Bola Tinubu should leave office but should not hand over power to any of the politicians currently challenging him.

Baba-Ahmed made the remarks in an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye and published on Saturday.

He said his advice to Tinubu was to prepare to leave office, but argued that none of the opposition politicians seeking to replace him would improve the country.

Asked whether he was referring to all the opposition candidates, Baba-Ahmed said they had all been politically connected to the ruling establishment at different points.

When specifically asked whether he included his former running mate, Peter Obi, he replied, “Including Peter Obi, I’m sorry to say.”

Baba-Ahmed argued that Obi had previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party when it was the ruling party, saying Nigeria needed a completely new political direction.

He also challenged the idea that politicians with no history of association with ruling parties were common in Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed and Obi were the Labour Party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively in the 2023 election. Baba-Ahmed later left the Labour Party for the Peoples Redemption Party.