BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Exits Labour Party

Nollywood actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has announced his resignation from the Labour Party, citing the party’s leadership challenges and inability to determine Nigeria’s political future.

Nollywood actor turned politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has announced his resignation from the Labour Party (LP).

He shared this decision in a statement via his social media handle on Tuesday, confirming that his resignation will take effect on February 25, 2025, marking the second anniversary of the 2023 presidential election.

Okonkwo explained his reasons for leaving, stating that the Labour Party, as it stands, is not positioned to be part of the political force that will shape Nigeria’s future.

“The Labour Party, as presently constituted, is not in a position to be part of that political force that will determine the political future of Nigeria,” he stated.

He also criticized the party for its failure to conduct congresses at the ward level, elect local government and state party executives, or hold a national convention.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Labour Party is non-existent as presently constituted,” Okonkwo said. He pointed out that the tenure of the ward, local government, and state party executives had effectively expired due to the lack of congresses, which violated the Labour Party’s constitution.

Okonkwo specifically criticized the leadership of the Labour Party, particularly the National Chairman, Julius Abure.

“It is evident that the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, is not interested in the party’s survival as he is more focused on the survival of his pocket,” Okonkwo remarked. He added that Abure and his team had failed to organize a national convention recognized by law, making the leadership ineffective.

“The former National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his former National Working Committee, having conducted no national convention known to law… there’s no effective leadership of Labour Party at the national level,” Okonkwo said.

He also addressed the situation with the Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee, which was established after Abure’s leadership was not recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Okonkwo criticized the delays in organizing congresses and conventions. “Abure and his colleagues, with the collaboration of outside forces, expectedly, being political jobbers, launched unnecessary legal challenges against this Caretaker Committee that have inhibited it from functioning.”

Okonkwo also questioned Abure’s commitment to the party’s future, accusing him of focusing on personal gain rather than strengthening the party for future elections. “If he is interested in the emergence of a southern candidate in Labour Party to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, going by the convention of having a northern national chairman of a party and a southern presidential candidate of the same party, whenever going into election, the first thing he would have done is to cede the position of national chairman to the North since the party is interested in fielding a presidential candidate from the South,” Okonkwo explained.

He further accused Abure and his allies of exploiting southern presidential candidates as “cash cows” for financial gain without any real intention of making the party competitive in the 2027 elections. “It’s obvious that Abure and his gang simply want to use some of the presidential candidates from southern origin as cash cows to be yielding money for them without any serious intention of making the party viable for them for any serious competitive election in 2027,” Okonkwo stated.

In conclusion, Okonkwo reaffirmed his commitment to good governance and explained that he could no longer pursue this goal within the Labour Party as it currently exists. “I have never been double-faced in my life. I have never betrayed any cause I set out to fight for. 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,” he said. He added that, given the party’s lack of structure, he was compelled to resign. “I am constrained to resign my membership of the party to all Nigerians of goodwill who supported us when we needed them most and to pledge my continued loyalty to the Nigerian people in all I will decide to do in my political future,” Okonkwo declared.

His resignation will take effect on February 25, 2025, and after that, he plans to join other like-minded Nigerians in pursuing a path toward good governance for Nigeria. “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 concluded.

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