Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign in the 2023 general election, has announced his departure from the party.
The filmmaker and politician cited the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and internal crises as the primary reasons for his decision.
In a letter released on Sunday, Okonkwo expressed his dissatisfaction with both the Labour Party and Nigeria’s leading political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). He accused the combined leadership of these parties of crippling Nigeria’s economy.
“The APC has left the people with no other option than to protest for their survival. They can see no hope for the future,” Okonkwo stated, emphasizing the need for a solid grassroots political base to challenge the current political landscape.
Okonkwo also criticized the judiciary, describing it as composed of “electoral bandits who steal electoral victories at gunpoint in the public glare of everyone.” He asserted that only a decisive, selfless leader could secure and sustain victory for the people, given the alleged unwillingness of corrupt leaders to conduct fair elections.
Reflecting on the 2023 election, Okonkwo alleged that the victory was stolen despite the efforts made to achieve it. “It is obvious that the judiciary will not give us democracy because of abuse of the judicial process. The people must take their destiny in their hands,” he said.
Okonkwo expressed his belief that the suffering experienced by Nigerians under the current leadership must not continue, and called for a new political course. He also criticized Peter Obi for failing to build a strong party foundation and for not supporting the Labour Unions in their efforts to reclaim the party from those attempting to hijack it.
“I believe 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 kakistocracy and kleptocrats. He just needed to give the right directives and everyone will fall in line,” Okonkwo wrote.
However, he expressed disappointment in Obi’s leadership, stating, “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.”
“I am shocked that PO could not openly support the noble 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 PO is now the problem of LP.
“The Labour Unions now have the unfortunate situation where they are fighting criminals who want to hijack their party when an ordinary statement from PO would have brought the solution. I cannot continue with this ambivalence forever.
“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.
“However, the consequence is that I no longer have the confidence that PO has what it takes to build a party that can win these kakistocrats and kleptocrats, 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 don’t intend to embark on such a campaign as we did in 2023, projecting a person who cannot sustain the victory even if he wins.
“It’s in this regard that I have decided to continue my political journey into the great Nigeria of our vision without Peter Obi. “
