From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The leadership of the Labour Party has condemned a statement by its former Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, which Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed, who said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is ‘questionably constitutional’.
The Labour Party views the comment as undemocratic, and dissociated itself from any surreptitious action capable of inciting Nigerians against the present government.
This is according to a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary Dr. Arabambi Abayomi made available to journalists in Kaduna by the National Secretary Umar Farouk Ibrahim,
The Labour Party said as a party, it approached the 2023 general election with all determination to make a difference in the way Nigeria is run and sponsored candidates it believed at the time could win elections for the party. However, the result of that Presidential election didn’t go its way, and the party challenged the result up to the Supreme Court and lost.
“For the interest and peace of the nation, the Labour Party accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court, not because we were pleased but because of the FINALITY of the Supreme Court’s judgment. The party has since moved on.”
But the party said it was astonished while speaking at the illegal and unconstitutional meeting called by Governor Otti and Peter Obi, on Wednesday 9th April 2025, at Transcorp Hotel Abuja as Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed still referred to 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 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 Tinubu’s legitimacy.
“For us in the Labour Party, this statement is inciting and a call for mass action against a constituted authority. We think there should be a limit to whipping up 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 galvanization of the youths against their governments, leading to 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 harbored 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.
According to Labour Party: “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 move the nation out of the woods.
“The leadership of Labour Party wishes to state clearly, that it is within the right of every Nigerian to hold the government accountable for its inability to live up to the expectation.
“However, the 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 of its former vice presidential candidate.
“Similarly, the party also viewed the comment by the Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti of a possible ‘dooms day’ awaiting the Barr. Julius Abure’s leadership was a direct threat to the lives of the party executive members.
“As if Labour Party is his 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 ‘doomsday’ 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 armed forces to ‘flush’ the 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 offense except that we insist on the rule of law and respect for 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.”
