By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The leadership of the opposition Labour Party(LP) in Nigeria has distanced itself from what it described as “undemocratic” comment by its 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, who said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is ‘questionably constitutional.’
LP condemned the Baba – Ahmed’s comments which he made during what it also reckoned as an “illegal and unconstitutional meeting called by Governor Otti and Peter Obi, on Wednesday 9th 2025, at Transcorp Hotel Abuja,” saying it was inciting.
In a statement on Saturday by Dr Arabambi Abayomi, the National Publicity Secretary, the LP dissociated itself from any surreptitious action capable of inciting Nigerians against the present government.
Similarly, the party also strongly condemned the “doomsday” wish on its leadership, Barr. Julius Abure, and other leaders by the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, saying that was a threat to the lives of Abure and members of his leadership team.
It, therefore, called on the security agencies, including the Police and Department of State Service (DSS) to beef up security around them.
The Statement In Full…
The leadership of the Labour Party has condemned a statement by the former Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2023 presidential election Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed, who said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is ‘questionably constitutional’. The Labour Party views this comment as undemocratic and it is by this statement dissociating itself from any surreptitious action capable of inciting Nigerians against the present government.
As a party, we approached the 2023 general election with all determination to make a difference in the way Nigeria is run and we sponsored candidates we believed at the time had the capacity to win elections for the party. However, the result of that Presidential election declared didn’t go our away and the party challenged the result up to the Supreme Court and we lost.
For the interest and peace of the nation, the Labour Party accepted the judgement of the Supreme Court, not because we were pleased but because of the FINALITY of the Supreme Court’s judgement. The party has since moved on.
But the party was astonished while speaking at the illegal and unconstitutional meeting called by Governor Otti and Peter Obi, on Wednesday 9th 2025, at Transcorp Hotel Abuja as Sen Datti Baba-Ahmed still referred the product of the 2023 presidential election as ‘Questionably constitutional’ even with the legitimacy conferred on the Tinubu government by the Supreme court.
Sen Datti Baba-Ahmed also said in an interview with a national television, “The appointments they are making are fake, the appointments they are making are illegal. The paraphernalia of government they are enjoying, destroying our country, spending our money is only for a little time.” Still questioning the presidency of President Tunibu’s legitimacy.
For us in the Labour Party, this statement is clearly inciting and a call for mass action against a constituted authority. We think there should be a limit to weeping up the public sentiments against a legitimate government. The Arab Spring that rattled the entire Middle East started when the Arab leaders paid no attention to Bouazizi’s subtle but persistent galvanisation of the youths against their governments leading into the mass demonstrations, revolts, and revolutions that almost consumed the region.
Recall that Baba-Ahmed while refusing to concede victory in the 2023 presidential election also alleged that the Tinubu government harboured a grand scheme to dismember Nigeria into six possibly autonomous zones and that the administration has thrown Nigerians into untold hardship, all in efforts to weep up sentiments against the government.
Nigeria is presently passing through a dangerous and precarious phase and it is expected that every well meaning Nigerian should realize the fragility of the nation, put politics aside and help to move the nation out of the woods.
The leadership wishes to state clearly, that it is within the right of every Nigeria to hold the government accountable for its inability to live up to the expectation however, statements that are inciting and capable of plunging the nation into unwarranted combustion, particularly by the political class, must be avoided. The Labour Party under the able leadership of Barr Julius Abure therefore wishes to completely dissociate itself from the unfortunate and reprehensible comments by its former vice presidential candidate.
Similarly, the party has also viewed the comment by the Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti of a possible ‘dooms day’ awaiting the Barr. Julius Abure’s led leadership as a direct threat to the lives of the party executive members.
As if Labour Party is his personal company, Governor Otti at the illegal meeting on Wednesday 9th April 2025, boasted that Abure refused an offer of the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the party and that he was ready to fumigate Abure and his team out of office. He also threatened that the ‘dooms day’ is imminent. The party is therefore warning that no harm should befall any of the party’s leaders as a result of the imminent doom that the governor has threatened.
This threat is coming a few days after a similar threat by the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero to mobilize arms men to flush our leadership out of our offices across the nation. We believe that these threats are not coincidental in any way as it is a known fact that NLC’s rascality is equally being funded by the Abia State government. We are therefore by this statement notifying Nigerians, particularly the National Security Adviser (NSA) to come to our aid as our lives are clearly in danger and we no longer feel safe.
We call on all the security agencies including the Police and state security agencies to beef up security around our leaders. We have committed no offence except that we insist on the rule of law and the respect for the party supremacy as ordered recently by the Supreme court. The party also warns that the Abia State governor should be held responsible should anything untoward happen to any of our leaders.
SIGN
Dr Arabambi Abayomi (FBAU)
Most Non-Controversial Political personality Year 2024
National Publicity Secretary
19th April 2025
