BREAKING: Datti Baba-Ahmed Breaks Silence on Peter Obi’s Defection Rumours

• Datti Baba-Ahmed has dismissed reports claiming Peter Obi has left the Labour Party, insisting the former presidential candidate remains a committed member as the party pushes for reconciliation.

Former Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has debunked claims that Peter Obi has defected from the party.

Speaking to journalists after the LP National Executive Council meeting in Abuja—attended by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—Baba-Ahmed said there is no truth to reports suggesting Obi has dumped the party.

“To the best of our knowledge, our brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, is still a member of the Labour Party. Nothing has changed. If he were here now, I would have shifted my seat to the left for him,” he said.

He noted that the LP had overcome its internal challenges and was now poised for greater unity, adding that INEC’s presence at the meeting was a major validation.

“The Labour Party has only increased in numbers. We went through rough times, as is usual with political associations, but we have emerged stronger. The highlight of this NEC meeting is the presence of INEC, which validates this sitting,” he stated.

Baba-Ahmed also addressed rising insecurity in the country, stressing that the situation reflects the consequences of poor leadership choices.

“Two days ago, a state of national emergency was declared in Nigeria. We warned this could happen. School abductions in hundreds, senior army officers killed — these would never have happened if the Labour Party had formed the government,” he said.

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He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to workers’ welfare, saying the LP will continue to champion fair and realistic living wages.

Friday’s NEC meeting, chaired by National Chairman Julius Abure, is part of ongoing efforts to resolve the leadership crisis triggered by the controversial 2024 national convention in Nnewi, which split the party into rival factions backed by top figures including Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.