Why I attended Abure-led meeting – Baba-Ahmed

By Jude Opara

Labour Party (LP) former vice-presidential candidate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has explained his reasons for attending a recent meeting organized by the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Morning Brief yesterday and monitored in Abuja, Baba-Ahmed said his attendance was a matter of principle, responsibility, and what he termed “a doctrine of necessity.”

According to him, the meeting was a critical step toward reconciling opposing factions and restoring unity within the Labour Party.

“I rose to the challenge,” he said.

“It became necessary the doctrine of necessity. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and everything right in it.”

Baba-Ahmed dismissed criticism that his engagement with the Abure-led group was unilateral or lacked legitimacy, insisting that he had carried along all relevant stakeholders.

“I assure you that every little step I take, concerned parties are aware,” he said.

“I don’t need to get too much into our internal operations, but everyone that has to do with anything that I do is concerned and is aware.”

Reacting to comments by Obidient movement spokesperson, Dr Tanko Yunusa, who said the group was unaware of Baba-Ahmed’s reconciliation efforts, he clarified that his actions are known to Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

“I don’t talk to Mr Tanko. I relate with our boss, His Excellency Peter Obi, and he is aware. He probably has been too busy to update the team around him,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He stressed that his decision to engage the Abure faction was not an endorsement of factionalism but a proactive move to heal divisions in the interest of the party and Nigeria’s democratic future.

“These factions only exist on the pages of the dashed hopes for Nigerian democrats. They have interfered in our activities that is what happened,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed described himself as a “positive catalyst” working to bring all parties together for dialogue.

“The way forward is simple: I called for all parties to get together and talk. When that happens, the press will get the headlines of what was discussed. I’m just trying to make that conversation happen,” he concluded.