Obi Still a Loyal Labour Party Member, Says Baba-Ahmed

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed speculation that former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has left the party.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, former vice-presidential candidate of the party, Datti Baba-Ahmed, affirmed that Obi remains a bona fide member of the LP. The NEC meeting was observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a development party leaders described as a strong signal of institutional recognition.

“To the best of our knowledge, our brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, is still a member of the Labour Party. Nothing has changed,” Baba-Ahmed stated. In a light-hearted remark underlining their political closeness, he added, “If he were here now, I would have shifted my seat to the left for him.”

Baba-Ahmed stressed that reports suggesting Obi had dumped the LP were unfounded and did not reflect the reality within the party’s leadership structure. He said the party hierarchy continues to regard Obi as a central figure in its political project ahead of future elections.

LP Says It Has Survived ‘Rough Times’ and Is Rebuilding

Baba-Ahmed used the opportunity to reflect on recent internal crises that rocked the Labour Party, particularly the disputes arising from the controversial 2024 national convention in Nnewi. The convention had triggered a leadership tussle and split the party into rival factions, reportedly aligned with prominent figures such as Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

Despite these challenges, Baba-Ahmed insisted that the party had not weakened but grown stronger. “The Labour Party has not reduced in any way. We have only increased in numbers,” he declared. He acknowledged that the party had experienced “rough times,” which he described as “usual with political associations,” but maintained that the LP had emerged from those difficulties with renewed focus.

He described the attendance of INEC officials at Friday’s NEC meeting as a “highlight and major turning point,” arguing that it reinforced the legitimacy of the gathering and the leadership presiding over it. “The highlight and major turning point of this NEC meeting is the presence of INEC, which validates this sitting and justifies our presence here. As law-abiding citizens, we strictly go by what the law provides,” he said.

According to him, the party is now entering a phase of reconciliation and expansion. “This is a renewed drive for reconciliation, and I am here as a loyal party member to continue to open our arms to embrace new and existing members, to come back and reconcile with the party for the national assignment ahead of us,” he added.

Insecurity and Governance: ‘We Warned Nigeria’, Says Baba-Ahmed

Turning to national issues, Baba-Ahmed linked the worsening insecurity in the country to what he described as a missed opportunity in the 2023 general elections. He referenced the recent declaration of a state of national emergency on security and a spate of violent incidents as evidence of a deepening crisis.

“Only two days ago, a state of national emergency was declared in Nigeria. If you recall, we warned Nigeria and the world that this was likely to happen — and it is happening,” he said. He cited reports of large-scale school abductions and the killing of senior army officers as indicators that the security architecture had come under severe strain.

“Nigerians voted en masse for change, and something else happened. The result is what we saw two days ago: school abductions in hundreds, senior army officers killed publicly,” Baba-Ahmed said. In his view, such developments “would never have happened if the Labour Party had formed the government of Nigeria.”

He reiterated the LP’s ideological commitment to social justice and security, insisting that the party remains focused on governance solutions built around accountability, equity, and citizen welfare.

Labour Party Reaffirms Commitment to Workers’ Welfare

Baba-Ahmed further underscored the Labour Party’s traditional association with workers’ rights and social welfare. He described decent wages and improved living conditions for workers as “the birthright” of the LP within Nigeria’s political spectrum.

“It is the birthright of LP, among all political parties, to ensure decent and realistic living wages for all workers,” he said. According to him, this agenda will feature prominently in the party’s engagements and campaigns “from now until 2027 and beyond.”

Friday’s NEC meeting, chaired by National Chairman Julius Abure, formed part of a broader strategy to stabilise the party’s internal structures after months of leadership disputes. The meeting is expected to feed into a wider reconciliation process targeted at uniting aggrieved factions and re-energising the base, particularly ahead of future electoral cycles.

With Baba-Ahmed’s clarification on Obi’s membership status and reassurances on the party’s direction, the Labour Party appears keen to project an image of cohesion, resilience, and readiness to contest for national power in the coming years.