Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council during the 2023 elections, has signaled his possible departure from the party.
In an exclusive interview with Symfoni, a Youtube Channel, Okonkwo expressed deep concerns about the LP’s current state,
He said, “Any party that is not visibly committed to the welfare of Nigerians will most likely not see me there. I don’t rule out going back to anything because change is constant.”
Critiquing the LP’s recent internal conflicts and organizational failures, Okonkwo remarked sharply on the party’s inability to conduct a credible national convention.
“My own Labour Party is not impressing me. Assuming they continue on this trajectory where they cannot even hold an acceptable national convention, then you’d tell me I’d be there?” he questioned.
He further lambasted the LP’s leadership, referring to recent events as a “leperous convention” and criticizing those involved as “clowns.”
“It is the greatest joke I have ever seen in a political party and then you want to position yourself as a party of integrity. You cannot give what you don’t have,” Okonkwo added.
Okonkwo’s journey through Nigerian political parties has been tumultuous.
He parted ways with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022 over disagreements regarding the presidential ticket structure.
Subsequently, he joined the LP, seeking a platform he believed aligned more closely with his principles.
However, the LP has been marred by internal power struggles. The crisis escalated in 2024 when Julius Abure was re-elected as national chairman amid controversy and without the presence of INEC oversight, leading to legal challenges and factional disputes within the party.