Presidential candidates for the 2023 election in Nigeria have been warned against underestimating the influence and ability of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi to win at the polls.
The running mate to Obi, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed who gave the word of caution said some persons who think the Labour Party does not have a structure are of the opinion that its presidential candidate, Obi would not perform well.
His submission comes against the background of claims by supporters of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, that the Labour Party and Obi lack the needed structure to win a presidential election in Nigeria.
However, Baba-Ahmed warned that such political parties, candidates and their supporters may be in for a big surprise at the polls if they underestimate the winning potential of Obi.
He stated this during an interview with Channels TV where he narrated his encounter with an elderly politician in Nigeria who arrogantly wrote off Obi’s candidacy.
The LP running mate also debunked reports that his party does not have a strong presence or followership in the northern part of the country.
He said: “I went to greet one of my elders and this gentleman came to me with all air of arrogance and said to me: ‘you will get a lot of experience in this contest.’
“I just thanked him. And I said the first advantage you will give to your opponent is to underestimate him.
“I want to be fully underestimated, I want Peter Obi to be fully underestimated by the so-called master politicians, the owners of resources, the owners and masters of structure.”
