Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed’s bid to reconcile Labour Party factions has stirred political intrigue, with some viewing it as selfless peacemaking and others as a calculated move ahead of 2027. As tensions simmer between Abure loyalists and the Usman-led camp, Datti’s intervention could reshape both the party’s future and the opposition’s wider coalition strategy.
His recent offer to pacify the warring factions within the embattled Labour Party (LP) has sparked various interpretations. Some say the former presidential running mate to Peter Obi is trying to protect the party’s platform, while others believe he’s strategically positioning himself for relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Party loyalists assert that Datti sees LP as a viable vehicle to push back against coalition partners’ indecision on zoning the presidential ticket to the South. He criticised coalition politicians for selfish ambitions, accusing elder statesmen of plotting to exploit the movement for personal gain.
Datti drew comparisons with the 2013 APC merger, praising Bola Tinubu’s decision to respect power rotation by stepping aside for a northern candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. In contrast, he questioned the stability and sincerity within the current ADC-led coalition, warning that it lacked the structure to deliver meaningful governance.
Supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar felt Datti’s comments were thinly veiled attacks on Atiku, claiming that Datti felt excluded amid talks that Obi might be offered the ADC ticket with Nasir El-Rufai or Aminu Tambuwal as running mate. Atiku’s allies interpreted Datti’s LP reconciliation attempt as a strategy to secure the party’s platform for a presidential bid, especially if Atiku insists on running again.
Southern coalition members also claimed Datti was applying pressure to edge Atiku out and allow only southern candidates to contest.
Recalling the 2018 PDP convention in Port Harcourt, Datti said southern politicians had stepped aside for Atiku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, and others. He said he respected that gesture by not contesting in 2023, hoping for reciprocation.
Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, a key leader of the Obidient Movement, described Datti as a principled politician aligned with their ideals. He argued that any coalition without Obi would collapse and praised Datti’s efforts to strengthen LP.
Ezeh further called for the retirement of figures like Tinubu, Atiku, and Kwankwaso in 2027, claiming Nigerians deserve fresh leadership. He stressed that Obi’s refusal to directly challenge Atiku within the coalition was a sign of respect, but lamented that the former vice president appeared uninterested in building consensus.
Meanwhile, Suleiman Mohammed from Niger State suggested Datti’s reconciliation efforts aimed to prevent Nyesom Wike from hijacking the LP ticket, especially after Abure appeared publicly with the FCT Minister. Mohammed noted Wike’s waning control in PDP and said he may be exploring LP as a fallback.
Datti, speaking at the Abure faction’s NEC meeting, said his intervention was prompted by INEC’s shifting stance on LP’s leadership crisis. Following the 2023 elections, INEC declared Abure’s tenure expired, leading to a disputed convention seen as exclusive and irregular.
In response, Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti, and other LP leaders convened a caucus in Umuahia, forming a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman to organise a proper convention. Abure secured a court ruling validating his convention, but the Usman-led faction appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled that party leadership matters are internal and non-justiciable.
Each faction claimed victory, while many LP supporters felt external forces were destabilising the party after its 2023 rise. INEC’s indecision worsened the impasse.
Observers recall how Obi and Datti presented a complementary ticket in 2023, with Obi’s calm demeanour balanced by Datti’s boldness. Datti, following the election, warned on national TV that swearing in an “improperly elected” president would end democracy, a statement that reverberated internationally.
Now, as Datti offers to mediate, he insists he has no personal ambition and that his actions are in Obi’s interest. He said he attended coalition talks but remains firmly in LP, warning others not to “sleepwalk” into uncertain alliances.
He reaffirmed LP’s performance in 2023, noting their 10 million votes—later reduced to 6.1 million—signaled a party that should not be abandoned. He implied the coalition was unsteady and susceptible to political capture, unlike the LP’s grassroots momentum.
He concluded that despite the country’s unrelenting political instability post-2023, the LP was poised to challenge the old order again in 2027.
Whether Datti’s maneuver signals the end of the coalition or a new beginning for Labour Party’s internal unity remains to be seen.
