The Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, was present on Monday at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened by the Julius Abure-led faction of the party.
The Labour Party has been grappling with internal divisions, resulting in two distinct factions—one led by Julius Abure and the other by Nenadi Usman.
Notably, most elected officials on the party’s platform—including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, presidential candidate Peter Obi, and Baba-Ahmed himself—have consistently aligned with the Usman-led faction.
However, speaking at the Abuja meeting convened by the Abure faction, Baba-Ahmed explained that he attended in the spirit of reconciliation.
“I am here as a peacemaker, and I am also here to reconcile divergent opinions,” he said.
He confirmed his involvement in recent meetings aimed at forming an opposition coalition but reaffirmed his loyalty to the Labour Party.
“I am very proud to say that I did attend meetings involving efforts to form a coalition in Nigeria. Morally speaking, if your community invites you to discuss security, it is your duty to attend.
“However, if discussions stray into unrelated matters, you are free to reaffirm your original stance. I have listened to the coalition discussions, but I remain a member of the Labour Party.”
The NEC in session praised Baba-Ahmed for extending support to the Abure-led leadership.