- ‘I Fought Tinubu, He Proved Me Wrong’ – Former Obi-Datti Campaign Chief
- The former Obi-Datti campaign official defended his return to the APC.
- Balami said his decision was based on conviction, not personal benefit.
A former Deputy Campaign Manager of the Obi-Datti presidential campaign, Isaac Balami, has said President Bola Tinubu changed his perception on key issues that initially led him to oppose the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Balami, who left the APC in September 2022 to join the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement, said his decision at the time was driven by concerns over the party’s Muslim Muslim presidential ticket and the perceived marginalisation of minority ethnic groups, particularly Christians in Northern Nigeria.
He, however, returned to the APC in July 2024, citing the Labour Party’s internal leadership crisis and what he described as the party’s inability to provide a credible alternative for Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Balami defended his decision to leave the Obidient Movement, saying he saw no reason to remain in a political platform where he believed there was no future.
According to him, Tinubu had proven him wrong on several of the issues that informed his earlier criticism of the APC.
“I just left because, one, there was a reason why I left the APC, two major reasons. I am a Christian from Borno State, and you saw the killings against Christians over the years. Then, the issue of the marginalisation of ethnic nationalities. Now, the question here is: At the end of the campaign, after the election, I wasn’t happy, and I made it clear. I’m not here to talk against my principal; we all know what happened. 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.
Balami also rejected claims that he betrayed the Obidient Movement, insisting that his decision to leave the APC in 2022 was voluntary and came at significant personal cost.
He said he walked away from opportunities within the ruling party because he believed in the cause he was pursuing at the time.
“To stay back in the APC was at least to get several other contracts. The presidential aircraft was in my hangar, and I walked away from the APC even when I knew no bank was backing me up. I was in Dubai to establish the university before the Dubai challenges with the Emirate Airline and the Nigerian government. When I got the call from the Middle Belt leaders, I didn’t come to look for work. I was called by the leaders of the Middle Belt saying, ‘Please, we know you have this business, but we want you to come and do this assignment for us.’ And I came. Nobody in the APC insulted me. It was my choice. I chose to do that,” he said.
Defending his return to the APC, Balami argued that political defections should not attract different reactions depending on the party involved.
He noted that his role in the Obi-Datti campaign was well documented and questioned why his decision to return to the APC had generated criticism when the ruling party accepted his earlier defection without hostility.
“The role I played is available online. You can Google my name; you saw the passion and the commitment. Today, if I have a fallout or things are not the way I expected, and I go back to the APC where I come from, the same way the APC took it when I went to another party, why is the other side not taking it? It’s a question I am yet to receive an answer for,” he stated.
Balami further maintained that the concerns that prompted him to leave the APC in 2022 had, in his opinion, been substantially addressed under the Tinubu administration.
He cited greater recognition of minority communities in Northern Nigeria, local government autonomy, the recruitment of forest guards and increased inclusion of previously marginalised groups as reasons for his change of position.
“I went against the APC and left the APC for the Labour Party because of those two reasons. And I’m here to tell you that the reasons why I left the APC are not there as they used to be. Is it 10 over 10? 100%? No. But I’m telling you that I come from a region that was not recognised. During elections, it is one Arewa, one North. And then after elections, certain people in the establishment take the whole national cake,” he added.
