LP Crisis: Datti Baba-Ahmed attends Abure-Led NEC meeting, vows reconciliation

The Labour Party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, made a notable appearance at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Julius Abure-led faction of the party on Monday, pledging to act as a mediator in the party’s internal crisis.

The Labour Party remains deeply divided between two factions — one headed by Julius Abure and the other led by Nenadi Usman. Most prominent figures in the party, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, and Datti himself, have typically aligned with the Usman-led camp.

However, addressing the NEC meeting convened by Abure in Abuja, Baba-Ahmed said his presence was not a shift in allegiance but rather a move to foster unity. “I am here as a peacemaker and I am also here to reconcile divergent opinions,” he stated.

He also addressed his participation in meetings of opposition coalitions aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress, clarifying that he had not left the Labour Party. “I am very proud to say that I did attend meetings of certain attempts of a coalition in Nigeria. Morally speaking, if your neighbourhood invites you to discuss security, you must attend,” he explained.

“However, if you attend and they discuss other matters outside that, you are at liberty to restore yourself to your former position. I have attended and I have listened to the coalition attempts. Yes, I still remain in the Labour Party.”

The NEC, in its resolution, commended Baba-Ahmed for identifying with the Abure-led leadership, hailing his intervention as timely in the face of ongoing divisions within the party.