Nigerian Aviation Expert Returns to Ruling Party, APC, After Muslim-Muslim Ticket Fiasco

Isaac Balami, a prominent Nigerian aviation expert and youth activist, has made a shocking U-turn by leaving the Labour Party (LP) and returning to his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The decision comes after Balami initially defected to the LP in 2023 over the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket for the presidential election.

Balami, who served as the National Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obi-Datti presidential ticket in the 2023 election, made the announcement on Wednesday while addressing journalists in Abuja. According to him, the Muslim-Muslim ticket was the primary reason for his initial departure from the APC, but he has since come to realize that it has little significance.

The former National President of the Aircraft Pilots and Engineers Association highlighted several areas where the APC administration has made significant progress, including the appointment of credible Nigerians with a focus on equity. Balami praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating that “no president has ever worked with the Middle Belt like President Bola Tinubu.”

In his address, Balami emphasized that his decision to return to the APC was made after consulting with leaders across Nigeria, the middle-belt caucus, his parents, and his immediate family. He expressed his confidence in the APC’s efforts to rescue the country and believes that working together with the party will lead to a thriving Nigeria in the years to come.

Balami’s dramatic shift in allegiance is likely to have significant implications for the political landscape in Nigeria, particularly in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.