Former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has ignited intense debate on social media after declaring that defeating President Bola Tinubu would require what he described as “red eye” tactics, rather than exclusive reliance on judicial processes.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks in a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday by user #_Dejii, where he openly criticised Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems, alleging that the 1999 Constitution was breached during the 2023 presidential election.
In the video, the former vice-presidential candidate revealed that he had earlier cautioned the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against placing absolute faith in the courts to resolve electoral injustice.
“I told Peter Obi, Supreme Court cannot give you governor and give you presidency. For God’s sake, stand up and do something. The Nigerian Constitution was clearly breached,” he said.
Drawing parallels with Nigeria’s historic June 12 struggle, Baba-Ahmed argued that past political actors aggressively defended their interests and sustained prolonged resistance against perceived injustice.
“Now if it was the June 12 people that you breached, not just the constitution, but breached one punctuation in their interest, I swear to God, nobody will sleep,” he added.
While expressing displeasure over what he described as persistent constitutional abuse, Baba-Ahmed nonetheless acknowledged the effectiveness with which those currently in power organise and protect their political interests.
“So as much as I dislike the fact that they abuse the Nigerian Constitution, you must give it to them. They fight for their interests, they can organise June 12 rallies, they can keep it up for three decades.”
According to him, any opposition force genuinely seeking to unseat President Tinubu must be prepared to confront the system decisively and beyond courtroom litigation.
He further alleged a troubling double standard in the handling of electoral misconduct, claiming that individuals who resist the declaration of what he termed “fake results” are often criminalised, while those involved in announcing such results enjoy state protection.
“You must show your red eyes if you’re going to defeat Tinubu, because on that day that they are declaring the result, the people declaring a fake result are criminals, and those who are stopping the declaration of fake results are good citizens.
“Whoever is going to defeat Tinubu must show red eye,” he emphasised, stressing that reliance on court action alone may not be sufficient.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments have since triggered mixed reactions across social media, with some Nigerians endorsing his critique of the electoral process, while others faulted the remarks as inflammatory and controversial.
