The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has distanced itself from its former Presidential Campaign Council spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, stating that he is no longer a card-carrying member of the party.
The National Secretary of LP, Umar Farouk, clarified this in an interview with Punch in reaction to Okonkwo’s announcement of his resignation from the party.
In a press statement on Tuesday, had declared that the Labour Party was not prepared for the 2027 general elections due to internal leadership crises.
“My entrance to politics is for good governance, and I will continue to work for it to ensure that Nigeria becomes a great country of incorruptible men. This aim can no longer be realised within the Labour Party, as presently constituted,” Okonkwo stated.
He further announced that his resignation would take effect from February 25, 2025, the second anniversary of the 2023 presidential election, and hinted at joining another political platform.
“This resignation takes effect from the 25th of February, 2025, which marks the second anniversary of the presidential election of 2023, after which I will be at liberty to join other well-meaning and like-minded Nigerians in charting a great future of good governance for this great country blessed by God,” he added.
Criticism Of Labour Party Leadership
Okonkwo accused LP’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, of prioritizing personal interests over the party’s survival. He claimed that the legal battles surrounding the party’s leadership had hindered its ability to prepare for future elections.
The former National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his former National Working Committee, having conducted no national convention known to law, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission and the courts having held that the issue of the leadership of a political party is the internal affair of a political party for which the courts do not have the jurisdiction to entertain, there’s no effective leadership of Labour Party at the national level,” he argued.
He further alleged that the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee, which was set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) to salvage the party, was being frustrated by “political jobbers” who were engaging in unnecessary litigation to maintain their control over the party.
LP National Secretary Reacts
Reacting to Okonkwo’s statements, LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk, dismissed his claims, accusing him of seeking cheap publicity.
“How many times is he going to resign from the party? Has he forgotten that he resigned about three, four or five months ago? It is only when he wants to find relevance that he opens his mouth to start talking again,” Farouk said.
He further advised Okonkwo to return to Nollywood, where he built his career, rather than dragging the party into controversy.
“Let him carry his bag and return to Nollywood where he came from. He should leave us alone. He doesn’t deserve to be in any political party because he is not a good politician,” he stated.
