The former deputy campaign manager of the Obi-Datti presidential campaign, now a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Isaac Balami, has defended his decision to leave the Obidient Movement, saying he saw no reason to remain in a platform where he believed there was no future. He said President Bola Tinubu, whom he had previously criticised, had proven him wrong on issues that informed his earlier opposition.
Balami, who is also an aviation entrepreneur and philanthropist, left the APC in September 2022 to join the Labour Party and the Obidient movement, citing concerns over inequality and the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. He returned to the ruling party in July 2024, attributing his decision to the Labour Party’s internal leadership crisis and what he described as its inability to offer a credible path for Nigeria.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday in an interview, he said he saw “no future” in the Obedient movement and maintained that President Bola Tinubu had changed his perception on key issues he previously criticised.
“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 marginalization 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 quizzed.
Responding to criticism that he betrayed the Obidient movement, Balami rejected the accusation, insisting his decision to leave the APC in 2022 was voluntary and made at significant personal cost, arguing that he should be free to return to the APC without being vilified, just as the ruling party accepted his earlier defection.
“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 insisted.
Balami also defended his return to the APC, arguing that political defections should not be viewed differently depending on the party involved. He said his contributions to the Obi-Datti campaign were publicly documented and questioned why his decision to return to the APC had attracted criticism when the ruling party accepted his departure in 2022 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 questioned.
Praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Balami claimed it had done more to promote fairness for Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities than any government since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999. He pointed to the removal of the fuel subsidy, local government autonomy, and what he described as over $109 billion in foreign direct investment since the administration took office as evidence that the government’s reforms were delivering results, adding that “politics is all about interest.”
“In the history of democracy since 1999, since the return to democracy, there’s no president in the history of Nigeria that has supported and been fair to ethnic nationalities in Nigeria like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’ve seen the reforms. Since the late ’70s, fuel subsidy removal—his administration has made it clear, you can see the numbers. Even in the last—since this government returned to power, over $109 billion in foreign direct investment; things are happening already. The local government autonomy, the recognition—you see, politics is all about interest,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the economic hardship facing Nigerians, Balami acknowledged that many citizens were suffering but argued that the Tinubu administration’s reforms were necessary and beginning to produce results.
“I would be a liar to come on open air and say there’s no suffering in the land. But I would also be blind and very unfair to say there are no economic reforms since the ’70s happening for the first time that are affecting people, including myself, including everybody.”
Drawing from his experience in Borno State, he said security had improved enough for many farmers to return to their farmlands after years of insurgency, although he conceded that the situation was not yet perfect.
“The question here is, as I speak to you now, it is now that people from the South—for we in the northeastern part of the country—we’ve seen worse. We’ve seen worse. What is happening now is not new to us, because we’ve seen worse things during the Boko Haram peak. Today, as I speak to you now, all my people come to ask for is fertilizer. They are going back to their farms. There was a time when for three, four, five years, nobody could go to his farm. I’m not saying security is perfect now. I’m not here to say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is 10 over 10, nor am I here to insult those that I worked with in the past. I’m just here to say that we can see fairness. Politics is all about interest,” he stressed.
He also maintained that the administration had been fair in its appointments across ethnic nationalities, insisting that his support for President Tinubu was not driven by personal gain, as he had received neither appointments nor government contracts since rejoining the APC.
“For the first time, an ethnic nationality can be recognized. I can count over 40 appointments. I didn’t benefit—since I came back to the APC three years ago, I’ve not gotten any appointment or any contract. But I can see it is left for the Middle Belt to take advantage of it. However, for me, all I’m just here to say is that politics of bitterness is not what we need,” he said.
Addressing questions about his political ideology, Balami said he returned to the APC because the reasons that prompted his departure in 2022 had, in his view, been substantially addressed by the Tinubu administration. He argued that minority groups in Northern Nigeria were receiving greater recognition, pointing to local government autonomy, the recruitment of forest guards and increased inclusion of previously marginalised communities. He added that there was nothing wrong with admitting an opponent had proven you wrong and insisted his decision to return to the APC was not motivated by personal gain.
“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 recognized. During elections, it is one Arewa, one North. And then after elections, certain people in the establishment take the whole national cake.
“For the first time, the voice of a minority in the 19 northern states is being listened to. For the first time, I’m seeing that I have my family and friends that are currently being employed as forest guards in my village, and we know what we need to do to safeguard our village. For the first time, I’ve seen the local government autonomy almost being implemented and about to start. No president has had the guts, the boldness, to do what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done.
“Now, what is 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, ‘Oh, you are right. Now we can work together?’ There’s nothing wrong with that. And that is why, you see, it surprises me when people ask if I had come back to the APC because of my personal gains. If I choose not to work again, God has already blessed me,” he maintained.
Dismissing claims that his defection was motivated by the lack of political appointments, Balami argued that he left because the Obidient movement and the Labour Party failed to build the structure needed to protect their votes. He claimed the party lacked sufficient polling agents and election documents to prove its case in court, adding that he now supports President Tinubu because he believes the administration has demonstrated fairness towards Northern Christians and minority communities.
“I have made up my mind not to belong to any movement that cannot stand their ground, do what is right, and win elections. Nigerians came out in millions to support the Obidient movement and the Labour Party. We dashed their hopes. We failed them. We couldn’t defend the votes. Common agents, we couldn’t raise; we couldn’t pay the agents. I believe they could have won if they could prove it. What do you expect for somebody who was a deputy campaign manager of a party? I gave my all.
“Whether Obi won or not, I am telling you here that we went to court and we had no Form EC8As because we had no agents. I put my resources—hold on to that—I put my resources, called the top 12 campaign support organizations, raised almost 300,000 support groups, put my resources, organized a training for the agents, and the party and the campaign council showed no interest. Then election came, there were no agents to give us Form EC8As. Then you’re telling me now that I should stick to that platform that doesn’t believe in structure or doesn’t believe in logical reasoning? These are part of the major reasons why I left. I’m just here to tell you that I have seen the light, and I am following the light,” he maintained.
Responding to suggestions that his defection was driven by personal disappointment, the APC stalwart denied seeking political rewards, insisting his concern was the lack of an effective structure within the Obidient movement. He argued that despite limited resources, he and his team mobilised support and secured victories for Peter Obi in parts of Southern Borno, adding that he would no longer invest his time and resources in a political platform that lacked organisation.
“If you worked with a structure that was not solidified and you can get this number of votes, if you work in a space where there is a proper structure and people believe in each other’s ideas—300,000, we raised the money for that. Nobody gave us money for that. We raised the money for that. My friends raised the money for that. We did it! And that is why, if you go to Borno State, as tough as Borno State is, go and check Southern Borno, Ward 1, Ward 2, Hawul, where I was raised. Obi won those places as tough as Maiduguri is. I delivered even when some people couldn’t deliver their polling unit. I delivered wards for Peter Obi. The videos are there, the evidence is there. What I’m trying to say here is that gone are those days where I will put my energy, my time, my resources into a platform or a structure that is not solid,” he stressed.
Responding to suggestions that his defection was driven by personal disappointment, Balami denied seeking political rewards, insisting his concern was the lack of an effective structure within the Obidient movement. He argued that despite limited resources, he and his team mobilised support and secured victories for Peter Obi in parts of Southern Borno, adding that he would no longer invest his time and resources in a political platform that lacked organisation.
On claims that he could help deliver millions of votes to President Tinubu in 2027, Balami rejected suggestions that he was overstating his influence.
“I will never claim that. I’m a team player. Even ask anybody. And that’s why when the campaign ended and Peter Obi lost, I’ll say it openly, I was the only person out of many people that worked in my office as deputy campaign manager, I gave seven of them jobs. I believe in team, I believe in family spirit. I can never come out and say I gave 1,000 votes, because Balami cannot do it alone,” he insisted.
On whether he had spoken to Peter Obi since leaving the Obidient movement, Balami said the former Labour Party presidential candidate had not reached out to him after his resignation. He added that he had made no attempt to contact Obi either, saying he left the movement out of anger and resigned of his own accord rather than being dismissed.
“Peter Obi, since I resigned and left, he has never reached out to me. I was angry, I left. So why should I reach out to him? I left. I wasn’t fired, I left. So, as far as I’m actually concerned, he knows that when I left, I left,” he underscored.
In a message to young Nigerians who supported the Obidient movement in 2023, Balami urged them to judge President Tinubu’s administration by what he described as its reforms and achievements rather than by his personal endorsement.
He cited local government autonomy, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), youth appointments and reforms in key sectors as reasons for his support, expressing confidence that the administration would create opportunities for younger Nigerians and leave the country in a stronger position by 2031.
“For me, what I would say to them is that they know why I left the APC to support Obi and Datti. They know why I am back to the APC. I’ve said it not once, not twice. You see, the transformation, the reforms that we’re talking about today in Nigeria, I am an example.
“That the kind of reform that is actually happening across board, there are young people doing great things. Look at what the president has actually achieved in terms of the local government autonomy today, NELFUND, is it the reforms in health, in the security agencies? I mean, let every young person who wants to listen to me just enter ChatGPT. Just ask: ‘What are the top 20, 30 achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in this administration?’ I don’t have to read it out, it’s available online.
“So, don’t follow me because of what I’m saying. The Obidients that have come with me, some are even in PDP, they’ve also joined us. Some are in different parties, they’ve also joined us. They know that I will not mislead them.
“And I’m telling you that by the time President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is done—God willing in 2031—this country will be in the hands of young people that will lead the next generation,” he concluded.
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