Our Reporter, New York
The National Chairman of Nigeria’s Labour Party, Julius Abure, said that if Datti Baba Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election, had been the presidential candidate and the events after the election were similar, Nigeria would have been divided by now.
Mr. Abure made the remark during an exclusive interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica on Sunday.
The party chairman was reacting to the hypothetical question about what would have happened if the Labour Party’s presidential ticket had been switched with Datti as the head.
Mr. Abure immediately rejected the premise of the question, saying, “I do not agree that if they were, if Datti were the presidential candidate, obviously, if Datti was the presidential candidate, he wouldn’t have been able to create the movement, the following that gave rise to the results that we have in the first instance. So the analysis isn’t correct.”
He went on: “The analysis doesn’t follow because a lot of people joined the Labour Party because of Peter Obi’s personality. Apparently, because of his character, performance, and behaviour, people saw him as a leader and, therefore, wanted him to be. Dati is not on that same pedestal. Datti doesn’t have that kind of followership that has the capacity to change the political trajectory that we had before. And therefore, he wouldn’t have been able to create that situation that would have given rise to what could have happened with the election.”
Then he added, “But after the election, after the election and the outcome of the election, if it was that, probably the country would have been divided, and in the end, a lot of people would have died by now.”
He continued: “Every folk have their perception, have their views. But I think that having a peaceful country and we are still available in the country, still being alive to be able to agitate for reform, put the government on the spots, and continue to agitate for a better country, I think, is better. We are already here. We are here talking about the 2027 election. If the country were at war or in a crisis, we wouldn’t be here talking about the 2027 election. So, however we look at it, I think we’ve done very well. Datti and PO were a very good combination.”
Despite their difference in countenance, the LP chairman insisted that no tension existed between the duo.
The legal practitioner cum politician also took time to speak on various issues concerning the nation and the Labour Party. While acknowledging that the party’s National Assembly members have not met expectations, he pleaded with Nigerians to be patient. He said the election petition cases had been a distraction to the lawmakers, and now that the cases have been resolved, they would focus on delivering on the mandate given to them by their constituents.
On why the Labour Party had not made the results they received from their agents at the polling units public, Abure stated that only about 50 – 60% of Labour Party’s agents returned their polling units’ results to the party. He said his office would make the tabulated results available to the public in due course. He made a similar commitment to the clamour for the Labour Party’s financial report from the 2023 election.
Also speaking on the party’s plans towards 2027, Comrade Julius Abure said the Labour Party has resolved to pursue electoral reforms vigorously. He said the reforms will reexamine the roles of INEC, the security agencies, and the courts in the conduct of elections in the country.
“We can’t simply continue with the process the way it is and expect things to be different in 2027,” he said.
