Datti Baba-Ahmed, a former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, has announced his defection from the party to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), news.ng reports.
Baba-Ahmed announced during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday evening.
According to the former Labour Party chieftain, he claimed that the party for which he stood as a vice-presidential candidate to Peter Obi in 2023 has deviated from what it stood for about three years ago.
According to the politician, the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a government whose aim is to destroy the opposition party rather focusing on its core duties – protecting the lives of people.
He added that the aim of the ruling party has frustrated the efforts of genuine politicians in the country.
He said, “They redeployed someone to come and with the specific purpose and because of the antecedents of the individual to make life difficult, particularly for me. But what the Labour Party stood for then is no longer what it is today. And remember, I have correctly argued that we’ve had a government who has made its primary purpose the destruction of other political parties.
“We must therefore feel sorry for ourselves for the fact that many genuine politicians have had their boats destroyed and sinking. And it is therefore legitimate for anybody to move, simply because the government, which is so powerful, has made it a point of duty. Instead of fighting insecurity and fixing our economy and stopping the stealing, what is more important is to destroy political parties.”
Reacting to the wave of defections by former members of the Labour Party, particularly Obi, he urged the public to criticise the move by the former Anambra State Governor, who is currently in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as he admitted himself to follow suit by joining the PRP.
“So don’t blame anybody for me, but I don’t blame OB. I don’t blame anybody for going where they think. So, I’m leaving Labour Party midnight tonight, and I’m joining PRP. PRP is the new destination,” he stated.
When asked his reason for joining the PRP, he responded saying that there are so many reasons why he decided to join the party rather than the ADC, APC or the PDP.
He declared that he would join the party and ensured that a southerner emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, a Christian.
On whether he will make himself available as a vice-presidential candidate, the former Labour Party leader said it wasn’t necessary.
“PRP is the one with a history… It’s the one with the history. It’s about 75 years old. Older than its chairman. There are many reasons.
“And I will go to PRP, we still will work for a genuine southern, possibly Christian candidate. No, no, no. Look, I don’t have to be.
When pressed further on his intention to contest the presidency under his new party, Baba-Ahmed said he was comfortable with the achievements he had made at a very young age, suggesting that political office is the least he can get.
“With all modesty, let me tell you this. You’re bringing it up. Other people have come to my office to tell me that if you dare without holding any political office, you’re okay.
“Thank you, God. And I’m so happy, I’m so pleased with what God Almighty has allowed me to achieve at my very young age. I had 33 House of Reps, at 41 Senate, university licence, another university licence, biggest private hospital in Africa, and the list goes on and on and on and on.
“Why do I have to be president or vice president? Why? And look, by the way, though I’m not that deeply, but I’m a standard, regular Muslim. And I know that the Quran says people beget leaders that are exactly what they are. And I know how different I am from the average Nigerian.
“I don’t give bribes. I don’t do so many things like I abhor them. Whatever it takes, I will not do. I won an election, they said, go ahead. We’re totally out of time. All right.
“So that is what I will do. That is what I will do. PRP is the place to be,” he said.
