For a former Labour Party presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, the gloves are now definitely off as he tries to distance himself from the party.
Okonkwo is on a collision course with the Labour Party, and he vowed to have nothing to do with it after he claimed that the Labour Party was non-existent and he was jumping from a sinking ship.
A lawyer by training, Okonkwo was the inspirational voice and brilliant image-maker of the Labour Party who tried to sell Nigerians on the visions of Peter Obi, the former candidate of the party in the 2023 presidential election, and he did yeoman’s job while at it.
Thus, throughout the presidential campaign, Okonkwo was a highly visible Obi and Labour Party mouthpiece.
He appeared on several Nigerian television talk shows to promote the Obi project and took on with gusto all-comers who stood against the former Anambra State governor’s presidential ambition.
A master at his craft, Okonkwo also incorporated tenacity as he mesmerised Nigerians with his vast knowledge in politics and the law, both of which he complemented with his sublime oratory skills.
Nowadays however, it seems that the centre can no longer hold in the Labour Party and Okonkwo, the 56-year-old Nsukka, Enugu State-born Nollywood actor-turned-politician, is now at variance with Obi and the Labour Party.
Obi’s sin? Okonkwo’s rhetoric suggested that he wanted a political front man who could project strength and be revered in the polity, but Obi, whom he said lacked leadership capacity, was found wanting.
The overzealous Okonkwo also wanted a leading political figure whose voice would be the authority on matters relating to the Labour Party, but again, Obi was found wanting as he did not meet expectations.
Okonkwo, who joined the Labour Party in 2022, was therefore convinced that Obi was too weak to deal with the many internal crises rocking the party.
The “Living in Bondage” actor said he was shocked that his former boss could not openly support “the noble efforts of Labour Unions” who founded the Labour Party as a base to fight for the welfare of workers, to the extent that some Labour Party members were openly saying that Obi is the problem in the party.
Okonkwo is not pleased with Obi for failing to call the chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, to order over his fallout with Labour Unions in Nigeria, and this, to him, is tantamount to an unpardonable sin.
So, in July 2024, Okonkwo, even though he chose to remain with the Labour Party then, hurriedly quit his role as Obi’s spokesperson.
He said, “Every member of the Labour Party is confused today as to the future of the Labour Party because of lack of leadership from Obi over the party, and unfortunately, when they look up to me to tell them about Obi’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.”
Last week, Okonkwo tendered his resignation letter from the Labour Party and he later painted a gloomy picture of the party in the next presidential election.
Okonkwo said, “Well, first of all, what do you think will be the future of the party (Labour)? Their members are defecting in droves and they are busy fighting for positions. Your house is burning and you’re chasing rats. You know how many members of the House of Reps have defected from the Labour Party to other parties?
“A Party of substance will go to court to fight….But what are they busy doing (in the Labour Party)? They are busy chasing shadows. They are busy chasing money.”
He also noted that having a national chairman and presidential candidate who are both from southern Nigeria and expecting to win the presidential election would be an exercise in futility.
“They are busy telling you that a national chairman from southern origin will go and have a presidential candidate from southern origin in 2027 and they are telling you they will win.
“They just want to use whoever is the presidential candidate as a cash cow so that they will use him to attract the other people that they will extort money from,” he said.
The Labour Party, however, fired back at Okonkwo.
The party did not only say that Okonkwo’s exit was a relief, they also mocked him, imploring him to return to acting.
The factional National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, said Okonkwo’s exit was good riddance to bad rubbish.
Arabambi also forbade Obi from speaking about the party and he refuted the claim that the crisis in the party is still simmering.
“We wish Okonkwo well. His resignation is good riddance to bad rubbish. He should not speak about the Labour Party anymore.
“There is no leadership crisis in the Labour Party. The Labour Party is not going into extinction. It is just a figment of the imaginations of most of our detractors,” Arabambi said.
Following Okonkwo’s resignation, questions have arisen about which political party Okonkwo would anchor his political career on.
His critics say he used to be a member of the APC and will rejoin the party but the man in the middle of the storm, Okonkwo himself, says he will not do so, except the APC changes and it is doing well for Nigeria.
A political analyst, Collins Ubawuchi, said, “I might be wrong, but something tells me that Okonkwo, despite the conditions he gave for returning to the APC, would actually choose the ruling party over any other political party.
“APC is looking like the beautiful bride every politician wants to be associated with. Wanting to join the party these days makes plenty of sense and I would not rule anything out when it comes to Okonkwo wearing the APC jersey again.
“And look at the APC tsunami taking place all over Nigeria. It seems like politicians who want to leave their parties for the APC only have one seat to fill there and they are all scrambling for it.
“The situation is not (any) different in the South East – Okonkwo’s base. I’m sure that if he lands a role in the APC, he will help the party so much in his region. He is with the Midas touch.
“And one more thing, Okonkwo has been called a mole, saboteur, unserious politician and so on, but I believe he means well for democracy in this country.
“He defected from the Labour Party, but he is not the first to do so and neither will he be the last. Let’s cut him some slack.”
”I BET YOU, NO SERIOUS-MINDED POLITICAL PARTY WILL WELCOME OKONKWO. HE HAS SHOT HIMSELF IN THE FOOT. HE HAS RIDICULED ALL THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES, SAYING THEIR LEADERS SHOULD NOT CONTEST FOR PRESIDENT IN 2027″
A member of the Obidient and public affairs analyst, Charles Etenwa, said, “I don’t think Obi or the Labour Party will miss Okonkwo. He has chosen his path and should let Obi be.
“I will not ask him to go back to Nollywood like many Nigerians are doing, but I can ask him to go and contest for an elective position before he can be taken seriously.
“Okonkwo has never won any election in this country and leaving Obi and the Labour Party will make him go permanently into obscurity.
“Perhaps, Okonkwo also knows that his political worth has fallen and he has therefore turned to a prophet-politician.
“He said that a Southern candidate would not beat Tinubu at the polls, and he made other declarations that have no substance.
“The man lied pro max. A southern Presidential candidate from the opposition will win the election in 2027 and Nigerians are free to take my own prediction to the bank.
“And really, I pity Okonkwo. Did you notice that his case is so bad that even the faction in the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa actually united with the main group led by Julius Abure to bash Okonkwo?
“I bet you, no serious-minded political party will welcome Okonkwo. He has shot himself in the foot. He has ridiculed all the main political parties, saying their leaders should not contest for president in 2027.
“So, tell me who will risk bringing Okonkwo into their party? The man who said that the opposition is dead?”
