Vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed has said thousands of Obi-Datti supporters in major cities in the country were not rented ‘crowds.’

Baba-Ahmed, who spoke on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm programme on Tuesday stated that described the supporters that attended the rallies as legitimate, self-funded and organic ‘crowds.’

He said, “I am not a crowd-renter and I can tell you that Peter Obi is not a crowd-renter. Those are legitimate, bonafide, self-funded, organic crowds.”

The Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, however, noted that it was okay for the “owners of structures” and “master politicians” to underestimate the Labour Party and the ‘Obidient’ Movement.

He said, “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 structures. We are nothing; he is just a businessman (and) I am just an educationist.

Baba-Ahmed said those saying the Labour Party can’t win 25% of votes in 24 states in the 2023 presidential election don’t know what they are saying.

“They don’t know what they are saying,” he said when responding to critics and contenders who claim the Labour Party can’t get 25% of votes in 24 states across the Federation,” he said.

He said, “Awareness has been very high in the north. What happens is that northerners listen more to the politicians and the politicians seem to have more impact on the populace in the north and awareness is pretty high.

“Whoever thinks that the Labour Party or Obidient Movement or Peter Obi as an individual is not being welcomed in the north, they are making a huge mistake,” he added.

Meanwhile, Baba-Ahmed said he is “realistic” that the Labour Party will win next February’s presidential election, adding that the results of three surveys conducted by various credible bodies are a reflection of the public pulse.

“I was elated by those results. I do believe those results,” he said.