Datti Baba-Ahmed Dumps Labour Party for PRP

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, who served as the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has officially announced his departure from the party. In a candid interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, Baba-Ahmed revealed his decision to resign from the Labour Party effective midnight and declared his intention to join the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

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They redeployed someone to come with a specific purpose, and because of the antecedents of the individual, to make life difficult, particularly for me. But what Labour Party stood for then is no longer what it is today.

Baba-Ahmed articulated several key reasons for his exit, pointing to internal disagreements within the Labour Party and a perceived deviation from its foundational principles. He also voiced concerns about alleged government interference in the operations of opposition parties, suggesting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is more focused on dismantling opposition than on addressing critical national issues like insecurity and economic challenges.

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We have had a government who has made its primary purpose the destruction of other political parties. Instead of fighting insecurity and fixing our economy and stopping the stealing, what is more important is to destroy political parties.

His move to the PRP, a party with a long history, signals a potential shift in Nigeria's political landscape. Baba-Ahmed expressed his commitment to working within the PRP to potentially field a "genuine southern, possibly Christian candidate" for the 2027 elections, indicating a strategic focus on future political contests.

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I’m leaving Labour Party midnight tonight, and I’m joining PRP. PRP is the new destination. PRP is the one with the history. It’s about 75 years old.

When questioned about his own presidential ambitions, Baba-Ahmed remained somewhat coy. However, he highlighted his past political achievements, including terms in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as his involvement in establishing universities and a major hospital, suggesting a distinguished career that doesn't necessarily necessitate a presidential run at this stage.

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At 33, House of Reps; at 41, Senate; university licence, another university licence, biggest private hospital in Africa, and the list goes on. Why do I have to be president or vice president?