By MUSTAPHA YAURI

The 2023 Labour Party Vice-Presidential candidate, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, on Wednesday, picked up the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) membership card in Zaria.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the development was sequel to his formal defection to PRP after announcing his exit from Labour Party.

NAN also reports that the politician, who was accompanied by some political associates, signed the PRP membership register at the party’s ward secretariat in Tudun Wada, Zaria.

Speaking shortly after signing the register, Baba-Ahmed expressed the regret over what he called the weakening of opposition platforms rather than addressing key national challenges.

According to him, several opposition parties, including Labour Party, had been adversely affected.

“They succeeded in crippling opposition parties, including my former party, the Labour Party,” he said.

He, however, noted that PRP had remained largely intact, attributing this to what he described as the party not being the primary target of political interference.

“If you are talking about a credible opposition capable of challenging and replacing the APC, the PRP is the answer,” he added.

Baba-Ahmed also described Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as being in decline, while expressing uncertainty over the future of other parties, such as African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

He further alleged that there were deliberate efforts to destabilise Labour Party, a development which, he said, influenced his decision to leave the party.

The former LP chieftain expressed confidence in the PRP leadership, describing it as credible and incorruptible, predicting that more Nigerians would join the party in the coming months.

He added that his decision to defect had already begun to generate interest across the country. (NAN)