- Isaac Balami, a former deputy campaign manager for Peter Obi, announced his return to the APC after leaving in 2022
- Balami cited two key reasons for originally leaving the APC, including the Muslim-Muslim ticket and ethnic marginalisation concerns
- The former Labour Party figure made pointed allegations about the party’s failure to defend its votes in the 2023 presidential election
Abuja, FCT – Isaac Balami, who served as deputy campaign manager for the Obi-Datti presidential campaign in 2022, has explained his decision to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying President Bola Tinubu’s conduct in office had changed his view of the man he once actively opposed.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, August 5, Balami said he left the APC in 2022 for two specific reasons: the ruling party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and what he considered the systematic neglect of minority ethnic groups. As a Christian from Borno state, he said those concerns felt personal.
Source: UGC
“So why should I remain in a place where I see no future, when the person I castigated, insulted and fought has proven me wrong?” he said.
Why I Left the Labour Party – Balami
Balami also directed sharp criticism at the Labour Party, arguing that structural failures within the party had made his continued membership untenable. He said the party was unable to mobilise and pay polling agents during the 2023 general election, a shortcoming he said cost it dearly when results were contested in court.
“We failed Nigerians. We couldn’t defend the votes. Common agents, we couldn’t raise; we couldn’t pay the agents. We went to court, and we had no Form EC8As because we had no agents,” he said.
He rejected suggestions that switching parties amounted to a betrayal of the Obidient Movement, arguing that the same freedom that led him to leave the APC in the first place should permit him to return without criticism.
Balami Assesses the Tinubu Administration
On why Tinubu had won him over, Balami pointed to several government initiatives, including the removal of fuel subsidy, local government autonomy reforms, the recruitment of forest guards, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and appointments of young Nigerians into government roles. He argued these policies showed a commitment to inclusion that previous administrations had not demonstrated.
“In the history of democracy since 1999, there’s no president that has supported and been fair to ethnic nationalities in Nigeria like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Balami acknowledged that many Nigerians were experiencing economic hardship under the current administration but maintained that the ongoing reforms were a necessary and temporary cost of long-term development.
He also pushed back against claims of personal gain, saying he had not received any government appointment or contract since rejoining the APC.
“There is nothing wrong if you are angry with somebody for a particular reason, and the person has proven you wrong. What is wrong in humbling yourself and saying, ‘You are right, now we can work together?'” he added.
Balami called on young Nigerians in particular to judge the Tinubu administration by its policies rather than by political affiliations, expressing confidence that the government would deliver measurable progress before the end of its tenure.
Source: Legit.ng