Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has resigned from the Labour Party. The former vice-presidential candidate says he will officially join the Peoples Redemption Party at midnight tonight.
He broke the news Tuesday evening on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Baba-Ahmed pointed to deep internal problems and the party’s drift away from the ideas it was built on.
“Labour Party is no longer what it used to stand for,” he said. He blamed political pressure and outside meddling for much of the chaos.
The bigger picture, he added, is grim. Opposition parties now struggle just to survive while the real issues — insecurity, economic pain — get pushed aside. Too many people seem more interested in weakening rivals than fixing the country.
His exit lands right in the middle of the Labour Party’s ugly leadership battle. Nenadi Usman has taken over as chairman, and the factions have only grown further apart.
Baba-Ahmed spoke of the PRP as a party with real history. He sees it as the right place for him now and believes it can become a serious option when the next elections come.
The move has already stirred up Nigeria’s opposition scene. Questions about the Labour Party’s stability and what lies ahead for it are getting louder by the hour.
