Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

Kenneth Okonkwo, a seasoned politician and Nollywood actor, has resigned from the Labour Party.

Okonkwo gave two reasons for leaving the party in a statement: internal party conflicts and ineffective leadership.

On Tuesday, February 11, the second anniversary of the 2023 elections, Okonkwo, a pivotal figure in the party’s 2023 presidential campaign, revealed his choice in a statement made public by X.

In spite of alleged electoral manipulation, Okonkwo said the party has earned national acceptance and thanked Nigerians for their support during the 2023 election.

“I thank, most sincerely, all Nigerians of goodwill for the immense support given to us during the 2023 presidential election in which Nigerians believed our message for a new Nigeria and voted for us across ethnic and religious lines,” Okonkwo stated.

He did, however, note that the Labour Party is no longer in a position to significantly influence Nigeria’s political future in its current form.

“The Labour Party is non-existent as presently constituted. The tenure of the ward, local government, and state party executives has expired, yet no congresses have been held to renew them,” he explained.

According to Vanguard, Okonkwo detailed a leadership vacuum that resulted from the former National Chairman, Julius Abure, and his National Working Committee (NWC) failing to arrange a legally recognized national convention.

The actor-turned-politician brought attention to the legal disputes surrounding the leadership crisis of the Labour Party, specifically the function of the Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, which was established by the National Executive Council (NEC) to hold new conventions and congresses.

“Unfortunately, Abure and his colleagues, with the collaboration of outside forces, have launched unnecessary legal challenges against this Caretaker Committee, inhibiting its ability to function

“It’s more than six months after its inauguration, and the committee has not even taken off,” Okonkwo alleged.

He further charged Abure with putting his own interests ahead of the party’s continued existence, claiming that the chairman’s resistance to give up his post to the North, even while the party was interested in running a Southern candidate for president, betrays a hidden agenda.

“If Abure were interested in a strong challenge against Tinubu in 2027, he would have ensured a Northern chairman to maintain political balance.

“This was the suggestion of those of us genuinely concerned about Labour Party’s survival,” Okonkwo asserted.

Okonkwo was unreserved in his criticism, accusing the leadership of the Labour Party of secretly attempting to secure the triumph of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

“Confirming the belief in most quarters that they are surreptitiously working for the victory of the ruling party. I pity any prospective southern presidential candidate who still believes there’s a political future for him in an Abure-led Labour Party. Such a person is simply displaying a lack of knowledge of the political realities of modern-day Nigeria.”

Okonkwo stressed his dedication to good administration and a Nigeria free of corruption when he announced his resignation.

“My entrance into politics is for good governance, and I will continue to work to ensure Nigeria becomes a great country led by incorruptible men,” he affirmed.

On February 25, 2025, precisely two years following the 2023 presidential election, he will formally step down.

In the upcoming months, Okonkwo alluded to collaborating with like-minded Nigerians.

“This resignation takes effect from the 25th of February, 2025, after which I will be at liberty to join other well-meaning and like-minded Nigerians in charting a great future for this country,” he concluded.

Hon. Chris Nkwonta, the representative for Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, planned an empowerment program that included the high-profile event in Akwete, Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.