Balami dumps Peter Obi, Labour Party, Returns to APC

Mary Nnah

Foremost Nigerian Aviation expert and youth activist, Comrade Isaac Balami has dumped the Labour Party, LP, and returned to his former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Balami, a former National Deputy Campaign Manager for Obi/Datti in the 2023 presidential election addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Giving his reasons for dumping the Labour Party, Balami recalled why he dumped APC ahead of the last presidential elections, stating that it is only reasonable to revisit his decisions after the mess he encountered in the Labour Party compared to the one year of Tinubu’s administration. According to Balami, Tinubu had shocked him in just one year in office with regard to the Muslim-Muslim ticket which Balami himself was against.

He said the Muslim-Muslim ticket was the major crux of crossing to the Labour Party, but that he has now seen that it actually means nothing.

According to him, ” Tinubu has so far empowered more Christian
northerners and other Muslim ethnic nationalities since Nigeria returned back to Democracy. There is nothing that trips me like equity and fairness,” Balami stated.

The former National President for Aircraft Pilots and Engineers said, “No president has ever worked with the middle belt like President Bola Tinubu,” highlighting areas the administration has done well, including appointing credible Nigerians with more emphasis on equity.

Balami said, ” That was not what I saw when I left. I now see a better party and a better government. I can see a Nigeria that in a few years will thrive and I think it is only important for us to work with APC in its effort to rescue this country.

“Consequently, after consulting widely with leaders across Nigeria, the middle-belt caucus, my parents and my immediate family, it becomes expedient that I resign from the Labour Party. I will now return back to the APC.

Balami said he was happy with the level of inclusiveness under the current administration.

Recall that the former Spokesman of TUC had while moving to the Labour Party a year ago, said he was sacrificing for the good of the country and thousands of Nigerian youths who believed in him.

He had said: In order to contribute to confronting the leadership challenges we face as a country as my commitment to save our fatherland, I have decided to sacrifice my entire investment and life’s work, to join the teeming Nigerian youths and indeed all Nigerians yearning for good governance. I have sold my majority stake in my aircraft hangar as well as my airline, to join my fellow Nigerians in the Obidient movement, just so I can more dedicatedly fight this struggle to rescue the soul of this great nation. This is my sacrifice! What is yours?” Balami said.

The former number three man of Peter Obi’s campaign organization said he had thought that Labour Party had all it takes to take over Nigeria and restructure it on the path of progress but regretted that the leadership crisis in the party and some obvious leadership incompetence had destroyed the party.

“There is every indication that Nigeria cannot be redeemed through the Labour Party. As I move with my entire structure back to my former party, I urge them to join me in working with the APC to redeem our dear country,” Balami said.

Meanwhile, Balami expressed optimism that President Tinubu will look into the current food and energy crisis in the country, urging him not to relent in ensuring that a reasonable agreement is reached with the organized labour in order to assuage the hardship he inherited.

He, however, thanked former Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi and Sen. Datti, for giving him the opportunity to serve in his campaign team, and wishing him well in his future endeavors.