2023 election: Why venues of our rallies are scanty, Datti finally reveals

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Datti Baba-Ahmed, says some state governments give the party’s campaign “oversized” venues they cannot fill with supporters.

Telescope.ng reports that he specifically cited the case of Kebbi state, northwest Nigeria, where the state government gave LP the Horse Race Course, a large venue, which it had to demarcate for its campaign rally.

Baba-Ahmed disclosed this in an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, February 7.

LP whose presidential candidate is Peter Obi has held its presidential campaign rallies in several states of the federation. It is, however, often ridiculed on social media for having scanty crowds at some of the rallies.

Baba-Ahmed said filling campaign venues is not a priority of the party but to fill the heart of the people, adding that it spends little effort in attracting crowds. He further stated that the crowds at some of the rallies exceeded his expectation.

He noted: “There are venues that were oversized venues. For example, in a state like Kebbi that we got a race course. Racecourse is where horses run. The government would not give us where we wanted. We demarcated where exactly we thought we would fill.

“I want to move away from filling the venue. What about filling the heart of Nigerians? Everybody is feeling insecurity, everybody is feeling the naira swap.

“They have been deceiving Nigerians that we are only on social media. It became necessary to show what we are worth. We did a little in our power in filling those venues. We could 10 times fill those venues.”

Baba-Ahmed also disclosed that the party used the rallies to prove a point to doubters that it is beyond social media.

Baba-Ahmed: “Labour Party’s performance on the ground is actually above social media. It was slightly above what I thought. It was far beyond how others were playing us down. I knew they were playing us down to their detriment.”

Speaking on the cost of governance, Mr Baba-Ahmed said if elected, the Peter Obi administration will end the long presidential motorcade, and reduce the money spent on the Presidential Villa and fleet.

He said: “Maintaining the Presidential Villa, the amount of money spent will not happen – the unnecessary long convoy, unnecessary travels, the fleet, the number of security votes – that will not happen under us.”