A former spokesman for the opposition Labour Party presidential campaign council, Kenneth Okonkwo has dumped the party.
Okonkwo said he decided to leave the party after its former presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, failed to solve the party’s internal crisis.
Okonkwo Full Speech
I am committed, irreversibly, to a great Nigeria built on equity, justice, and fairness, where every citizen will be free and able to aspire to any position or level in life without regard to primordial sentiments built around ethnicity, religion, sex, or circumstances of birth.
It’s obvious that the APC or PDP, as presently constituted, do not have what it takes to lead us to a great Nigeria. Indeed their combined leadership is trying to cripple Nigeria as this blessed country is now down economically, politically, and in every other index, leaving the people with no other option than to protest for their survival. They can see no hope for the future.
Unfortunately, by our Constitution, we need a solid political party with solid grassroot base to be able to wrestle power from these kakistocrats and kleptocrats. We, therefore, need a decisive leader who will be able to build such a party of integrity and character from the grassroots because eventually, majority of the people that will populate a government will eventually proceed from the political party of the leader. A party is like a political tree that produces the fruit of the leadership cadre in government. A corrupt tree will never birth good fruits no matter the integrity and good intentions of the leader. Nigeria problems today come from lack of internal democracy in the parties which become a breeding ground for the production of incompetent and corrupt leaders in government.
We also need a decisive leader who will be selfless enough, in boldness and bravery, to secure our victory, when the people vote for such leader, because these corrupt and incompetent leaders are not willing to conduct free and fair elections and will always grab, snatch power from any weak and indecisive leader, and run away with it. Our judiciary has not proved to be equal to the task in preventing the emergence of electoral bandits who steal electoral victories at gunpoint in the public glare of everyone.
I am ernestly searching for such a leader who has the integrity and also the commensurate charisma and bravery to mobilise the people to sustain the victory, in the event that Nigeria votes for such a person. The time for calm down is over.
I recall how we suffered and risked all to liberate Nigeria from the shackles of these kakistocrats and kleptocrats in 2023 only for the victory to be stolen. 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. They must be willing to vote the right person as the President and must be willing to fight to ensure that the person is sworn in as President. However, the person must be willing to be in the forefront of such endeavour. The suffering Nigerians are going through now from the people they didn’t vote for, but who snatched power, cannot be allowed to continue. These people will still remain in power come 2027 unless a decisive leader emerges to stop them with the votes of the people.
What is happening in Labour Party today has inspired in me a determination to chart a new course for my political journey. After the 2023 general election, Nigerians, including me, had high hopes on Labour Party. I believed 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 kakistocrats and kleptocrats. He just needed to give the right directives and everyone will fall in line.
I received my first shock when he publicly declared that he didn’t promise Nigerians to build a strong Labour Party, but to solve Nigeria problems. I was like, does it mean HE Peter Obi is not aware that without a solid party base, we are heading to no where politically?
However, I continued in his defence believing he will still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems. to no avail.
PO also publicly demanded that the Abure led National Working Committee must organise an all inclusive convention that will guarantee the participation of all members of Labour Party in the choice of their leaders. This didn’t happen, and surprisingly, PO refused to disassociate himself from the shenanigans and criminal activities of the former NWC as their time has expired. Every member of Labour Party is confused today as to the future of 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. I am always 100% loyal to a leader whenever I am working or following the leader. At anytime I have doubts within me that I can no longer offer 100% loyalty to him, I will respectfully let everyone know. When I joined myself to his campaign, I made it public, now that I cannot guarantee my support for his future political aspirations, I believe I owe it to everyone to let everyone know.
This has nothing to do with any desire to join APC or PDP. I will perpetually be joined to the Nigerian people and their aspirations for a new, better, and great Nigeria.
There’s also absolutely nothing personal with my decision to adjust my relationship with HE Peter Obi. It’s 100% based on principles and my conviction that I need a more decisive, bold, brave leader with integrity and team spirit who can confront these kakistocrats and kleptocrats head on. I will continue to respect him and cherish the periods we worked together.
With this declaration, I am free to embark on negotiation and consultation with every like minded people to determine the next step in my political journey, which does not include joining APC or PDP for now, but includes, and not limited to consolidation of Labour Party.
Nigeria must regain its greatness, whether the kakistocrats and kleptocrats like it or not.
Protest is a democratic right of the people. Nobody should prevent the people from protesting, even as the protesters should endeavour to be peaceful. The government must deploy all its wisdom and exercise extreme restraint in the management of the protest of the people. The best method of avoiding protest is good governance. With bad governance, protest is inevitable.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
