Former Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Organisation spokesman and Nollywood actor, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has dumped the party, saying that his confidence in the LP wanned.
In 2022, Okonkwo left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the LP ahead of the 2023 presidential poll.
Lately, he has been critical of the national working committee (NWC) of the LP led by the chairman of the party, Julius Abure, according to Daily Trust.
In June 2024, he described the party as “a secret society led by a group of clowns”, adding that he could not rule out defecting
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In a statement via his X handle, he specifically blamed the party’s presidential candidate for the last election, Peter Obi, and the crisis rocking the party, for his decision.
According to him, Obi did not do enough to build the party and solve its leadership crisis.
The Nollywood actor turned politician said: “He (Peter Obi) just needed to give the right directives and everyone will fall in line. 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’s problems.
“I was like, does it mean Peter Obi is not aware that without a solid party base, we are heading to nowhere politically? However, I continued in his defence believing he will still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems but 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 the 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 had expired.
“Every member of the Labour Party is confused today as to the future of the 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.”
