I no longer have the confidence that Peter Obi has what it takes to secure the mandate – Kenneth Okonkwo says as he leaves Labour Party

Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for the Labour Party presidential campaign in the 2023 general election, has left the party. He attributed his decision to the party’s internal crisis and the actions of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Okonkwo criticized both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming their leadership is harming Nigeria’s economy. He asserted that the APC has left citizens with no option but to protest for survival due to a lack of future hope.

In his statement, Okonkwo stressed the need for a strong political party with grassroots support to challenge the current leadership. He emphasized the necessity for a decisive and selfless leader to secure electoral victory, as he believes the current corrupt leaders will not conduct free and fair elections. Okonkwo also condemned the judiciary, labeling them as “electoral bandits.”

He is in search of a leader with integrity and charisma to mobilize the people and sustain electoral victory. Okonkwo declared that the time for patience is over, accusing the judiciary of undermining democracy and urging the people to take control of their destiny

Okonkwo noted that “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, take power from any weak and indecisive candidate, and run away with it. ”

“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 for the Labour Party.

“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.

“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’s problems.

“I was like, does it mean HE Peter Obi is not aware that without a solid party base, we are heading to nowhere 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 the 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 had expired.

“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. “