Veteran Nollywood actor and legal practitioner, Kenneth Okonkwo has dumped the Labour Party.
Okonkwo, one of the Labour Party presidential campaign council spokespersons in the 2023 elections, also announced he is parting ways with Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate.
Okonkwo in a statement issued on Sunday said he decided to leave the party after eter Obi failed to solve the party’s internal crisis.
“I no longer have the confidence that PO has what it takes to build a party that can win these kakistocrats and ideptocrats, and above all, he has proved that even if the people vote for him, he doesn’t have what it takes to secure the mandate.
“I believed that Peter Obi will seize the momentum and build a solid party of integrity that will have the solid base that we need to overthrow these kakistocrats and kleptocrats. He just needed to give the right directives and everyone will fall in lime.
“I received my first shock when he publicly declared that he didn’t promise Nigerians to build a strong Labour Party, but to solve Nigeria problems. I was like, does it mean HE Peter Obi is not aware that without a solid party base, we are heading to no where politically? However, I continued in his defence believing he will still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems. to no avail.
“PO also publicly demanded that the Abure-led National Working Committee must organise an all inclusive convention that will guarantee the participation of all members of Labour Party in the choice of their leaders.
“This didn’t happen, and surprisingly, PO refused to disassociate himself from the shenanigans and criminal activities of the former NWC as their time has expired. Every member of Labour Party is confused today as to the future of Labour Party because of lack of leadership from PO over the party, and unfortunately, when they look up to me to tell them about PO’s standpoint, I sincerely have nothing to tell them because I don’t know myself.
“I cannot continue to speak on behalf of a leader that I do not know his stand on issues of great importance. I simply don’t know how to manipulate facts.”
Okonkwo said he was shocked that Obi could not openly support the efforts of the Labour Unions who founded the Labour Party as a base to fight for the welfare of workers to the extent that some of them are openly saying that Obi is now the problem of the party.
He said the Labour Unions now have the unfortunate situation where they are fighting criminals who want to hijack their party when an ordinary statement from Ohi would have brought the solution.
He said, “I am of course in full support of the Labour Unions and other stakeholders who are now compelled to fight for the soul of LP without the support of PO.”
Okonkwo stated that he is committed to a great Nigeria built on equity, justice, and fairness, where every citizen will be free and able to aspire to any position or level in life without regard to primordial sentiments built around ethnicity, religion, sex, or circumstances of birth.
He, however, said it is obvious that the APC or PDP, as presently constituted, do not have what it takes to lead Nigeria.
He added: “Indeed their combined leadership is trying to cripple Nigeria as this blessed country is now down economically, politically, and in every other index, leaving the people with no other option than to protest for their survival. They can see no hope for the future.”
The Labour Party has been entrenched in a leadership crisis since the end of the 2023 general elections.
The trouble started after some party members led by Lamidi Apapa, the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South) accused the party chairman, Julius Abure of accused him of mismanaging party’s funds.
A series of court cases followed and Abure’s leadership was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
However, not long afterward, the party’s erstwhile National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Oparah, went public with allegations that Abure be made to account for over N3.5bn she claimed the party received from the sale of forms and donations for during the 2023 elections.
The Abure-led NWC of the LP is also at loggerheads with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the House of Representatives caucus of the party.
Comrade Joe Ajaero and the leadership of the NLC passed a vote of no confidence on Abure who they accused of running the party like a sole administrator.
They also demanded for his immediate resignation to allow an interim administration to run the party’s affairs until a proper convention is held.
Abure has been fighting back using the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh. Ifoh has in a number of statements cast aspersions on Ajaero and all those who have queried Abure’s leadership style.