Datti Baba-Ahmed announces defection from Labour Party to PRP

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has announced his intention to leave the party and join the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Baba-Ahmed made the announcement on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today,” citing internal disagreements and a departure from the party’s founding ideals as the primary reasons for his exit.

“I am leaving the Labour Party tomorrow. There is more to it. When there was real peace in the Labour Party, was when they posted back. They redeployed someone with a specific purpose, and because of the antecedent of the individual to make life difficult, particularly for me. What the Labour Party stood for then is no longer what it is today,” he said.

The former vice-presidential candidate confirmed that his defection would take effect at midnight, identifying the PRP as his new political destination.

“I am leaving the Labour Party [at] midnight, and I am joining PRP. PRP is the new destination. PRP is the one with a history. It’s about 75 years old,” he stated.

The PRP was founded in 1978 by the late Aminu Kano and is regarded as one of Nigeria’s oldest political movements. Baba-Ahmed’s move follows his 2023 run alongside presidential candidate Peter Obi, marking a significant shift in the leadership landscape of the Labour Party.