The State Security Service (SSS) has invited the 2023 Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, for questioning over alleged inciting comments made during recent media appearances.
Security sources confirmed that Mr Baba-Ahmed was invited on Friday evening following remarks he made on Arise Television, where he reportedly accused the judiciary and the military of enabling the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
During the interview, Mr Baba-Ahmed claimed that Nigeria could have prevented the inauguration of the Tinubu–Shettima administration. He also alleged that the military made the current government possible, a situation he suggested emboldened security officials to “look you in the face and call you a bloody fool.”
The comment was said to reference the recent confrontation between Navy Officer Ahmed Yerima and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
According to security insiders, the SSS believes his statements carry “inflammatory undertones” capable of heightening national tension, especially in the country’s current politically sensitive atmosphere.
A security source who spoke to SolaceBase Newspaper said the invitation follows standard protocol. The source added that Mr Baba-Ahmed’s description of the government’s security improvement efforts as a “joke” could agitate public emotions and weaken confidence in state institutions.
“These sessions are not punitive; they are preventive,” the source said. “They allow for clarification of intent, contextualising the remarks, and ensuring that narratives that could unintentionally fuel unrest are properly addressed.”
The SSS has not issued an official statement on the invitation, and Mr Baba-Ahmed has also not publicly commented on the development.