Yusuf Datti Baba- Ahmed is a prominent educationist and politician in Nigeria whose profiles visits and researches on his personality increased after becoming a running mate to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the general election held in Nigeria on 25th February 2023.
Early life/Background
Datti Baba Ahmed was born on 7th July 1969 to the popular Baba-Ahmed family in Zaria, Kaduna State in present day North West geo-political region of Nigeria. His is one of the thirty three children of Baba- Ahmed who was notable for his cattle trading and expertise on Islamic laws as a scholar. Baba- Ahmed is said to be a migrant from a neighboring African country Mauritania and officially a true Nigerian like every other citizens of Nigeria. As a son of an Islamic scholar, Datti is a faithful Muslim and practices his faith in accordance to the Islamic laws and teachings. He grew up as a Muslim and remains a Muslim alongside his family.
State of Origin
Datti Baba-Ahmed is from Kaduna State and a proud citizen of his home state where he has contested for many elective positions.
Education
Datti is well educated to the highest academic rank for education lovers. He studied Economics at University of Maiduguri, Borno State. His active participation in classroom and necessary exams enabled him to bag Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He journeyed further to acquire his Master of Science degree in the same field of study and in the same University. After many years of professional career and work experience, he went back to school again for his Doctorate degree. His passion for education led him to further his studies even after entering politics leading to him becoming a federal law maker or legislature at the green chamber also referred as the lower chamber of Nigeria National Assembly. He completed his PhD studies from University of Westminster, London United Kingdom in 2006. By the virtue of his PhD, his name can be written or pronounced as Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Career
After his graduation from University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) for his first degree and second degree in economics, he gained employment at the Nigerian Security Printing and Mining PLC. Having gained the job, he left Northern Nigeria and arrived to the Southern Nigeria where he lived and worked in Lagos State located in the present day South West geo-political region of Nigeria though lived in Abuja too where the government owned company has headquarters as well. He worked at the Nigerian Security Printing and Mining Plc for many years until he left there to launch his political campaign in line with his ambition to represent his immediate constituency at the National Assembly.
Political life/ career
Democracy was restored back in Nigeria in the year 1999, bringing in government ruled by tenets of a constitution. General election is held every four years in Nigeria and after four years that democracy has stood strong without any iota of interruption, another election beckoned in 2003 and Datti Baba-Ahmed decided to take the bull by the horn, instead of complaining and tired of been a spectator in a game he believes he can play it better, he left his job at the Nigerian Security Printing and Mining Plc and officially declared intention to run for a parliamentary seat to represent Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State at the green chamber of the National Assembly.
He ran through a different party platform that was never the ruling party at the national politics. As at 2003, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the ruling party at the national level but Datti took a different direction and contested under the umbrella of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) as his adopted political party platform and he won the election beating his opponents from other parties. He plays a different type of politics that is free from corruption and bribery. He always wants things to be done orderly and in accordance to the constitution and rule of law.
Datti was never attracted into politics for the sake of money and it made him vocal in fight against corruption and even in buildup of 2007 election, he hesitated to join campaign caravan for his re-election while insisting for things to be done perfectly. He only served as a member of the Federal House of Representative for one term of 2003-2007.
Datti was among the lawmakers that vehemently refused the alteration or amendment of 1999 constitution to change from two term maximum for executive arm of the Government like the President and the Governor’s maximum two term (eight years) to third term (twelve years). He believes so much in democracy and leadership devoid of selfish interest, corruption and bribery. In the election of 2007, he did not return back to the Federal House of Representative (HOR) and there was a gap of his political participation as a full office holder spanning from 2007 -2011.
In 2011 general election, he decided to contest again and return to the National Assembly as a federal lawmaker. In his maturity and legislative exposure, he chose to contest for senatorial election to represent his senatorial district at the senate floor/chamber of the National Assembly. After the general election held in the year 2011, he was declared winner of the election after emerging through a party called Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed became a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria but it was short lived as tribunal sacked him and returned his opponent from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected.
Presidential Ambition
In 2018, he has joined the former ruling party in Nigeria which has formed the opposition party (after defeat in 2015 General election) where he contested for the presidential ticket of PDP but he lost in the bid where the former vice president of Nigeria Waziri Atiku Abubakar secured the party presidential ticket with the hope of unseating President Buhari during the 2019 general election in Nigeria.
Labour Party (LP) Vice Presidential Candidate
He remained in PDP till 2022 when he pulled out of the Governorship primary election of the party ahead of gubernatorial election in Kaduna State due to his principles of zero tolerance to corruption as he was not planning to pay the delegates to vote for him. In the same time, the former governor of Anambra State Mr. Peter Obi after touring about 36 states and federal capital territory selling himself to delegates of PDP ahead of the presidential primary election pulled out of the party and joined Labour Party (LP) where he secured Presidential ticket of the party ahead of the presidential election on 25th February 2023. Datti Baba-Ahmed was picked by Mr. Peter Obi to become his running mate ahead of the election. The duo campaigned vigorously and toured the country together while running in a joint ticket with massive supporters or followers nicknamed “Obidients”
After the election, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his running mate Sen. Kashim Shettima under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) were declared the winner of the presidential election.
Business/Investment
Datti is an educationist by principles of investment and he founded a first class private University in Abuja that is called Baze University which has produced many notable Nigerians like Senator Dino Melaye, former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka and among others who have passed through the four walls of the university established by Datti Baba Ahmed.
He also founded a company called Baze Research and Data Services Ltd where he served as the Managing Director and Pro chancellor of Baze University during the later days of his career as life different from politics.