The vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has dismissed former party members who recently defected to other platforms as “political travellers.”
Baba-Ahmed made the remark on Wednesday while addressing party supporters at a rally held at the LP national headquarters in Abuja, where he also hinted at a possible presidential ambition on the party’s platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
His comments come in the wake of the defection of the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC). Obi officially joined the ADC after months of consultations within an opposition coalition that includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, under whom he served as running mate in the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Before leaving the LP, Obi had urged his supporters, popularly known as Obidients, to align with the ADC.
Speaking at the Abuja rally, Baba-Ahmed appeared to take a swipe at some former party members who, according to him, were embraced by the LP in 2022 but later chose to leave.
“I had earlier engaged all party members to reconcile, and while some heeded my calls, others took offence and proceeded to defect,” he said.
“No regrets to me for this role, however, as a leader in this party. In this defection case, neither my humble self nor the Labour Party are the aggressors.”
Describing the defectors as transient politicians, he added: “A group of political travellers welcomed in 2022 with a presidential ticket continue with their journey. Simple.”
Baba-Ahmed maintained that the Labour Party remains proud of its performance in the 2023 general election despite financial constraints and electoral challenges.
“With all humility, Labour Party can flaunt its success. In the presence of financial difficulties, in an era of perfected electoral fraud, the Labour Party produced a state governor, eight senators, about 40 House of Representatives members and about 50 state House of Assembly members,” he said.
He acknowledged that many of those elected on the party’s platform have since defected but stressed that he remains “proud to be associated with real members” of the Labour Party.
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