Kenneth Okonkwo quits Labour Party

By Tosin Brown

Actor and lawyer Kenneth Okonkwo has announced his resignation from the Labour Party.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Okonkwo stated that his resignation would take effect on February 25, 2025, after which he would be free to join other like-minded Nigerians in shaping the country’s future.

He explained that his involvement in politics was driven by a desire for good governance and that he would continue working towards this goal.

Okonkwo, a former spokesperson for the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council, expressed his gratitude to Nigerians who supported the party during its time of need and pledged his loyalty to the Nigerian people.

The Living in Bondage star also stated that the Labour Party, in its current state, is non-functional, which led to his decision to resign.

Full statement below:

11th February 2025

To all Nigerians of Goodwill,

RESIGNATION FROM THE LABOUR PARTY

I sincerely thank all Nigerians of goodwill for their immense support during the 2023 presidential election, when Nigerians believed in our message for a new Nigeria and voted for us across ethnic and religious lines. We were the only party that achieved 25% support in all six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory. I believe that we won the election under the Labour Party with your support but were denied victory due to a technical glitch.

By February 25, 2025, it will be two years since the 2023 presidential election and two years before the next one. It is a global democratic convention that political consultations, alignments, and realignments begin two years before the next election. Unfortunately, the Labour Party, as it is currently structured, cannot be part of the political force that will shape Nigeria’s future.

To be clear, the Labour Party, as it stands, is non-functional. According to the Labour Party Constitution, the tenure of ward, local government, and state party executives is three years (see Article 15(2)(3)(4) of the Labour Party Constitution). Since no congresses have been held at these levels within the constitutionally mandated tenure, their leaderships have effectively expired.

The former National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his National Working Committee have not conducted any legally recognized national convention, as affirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the courts. As a result, the leadership issue within the Labour Party remains an internal matter beyond the courts’ jurisdiction, leaving the party without effective national leadership.

The Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, was lawfully set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party after INEC refused to recognize the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC). This committee was given six months to conduct congresses and a convention, representing the only viable option to salvage the Labour Party.

Unfortunately, Abure and his allies, in collaboration with external forces, have engaged in unnecessary legal battles against this Caretaker Committee, preventing it from functioning. More than six months after its inauguration, the committee has yet to take action, leading many to believe that the objective of these politicians and their collaborators is to entangle serious members of the Labour Party in frivolous lawsuits until the 2027 election is over. It is ironic that a national executive, whose members are defecting daily to other parties and who cannot fight legal battles to reclaim these seats, is instead focusing its legal efforts on maintaining their destructive grip on the party.

It is evident that Abure is more concerned with his personal interests than with the survival of the Labour Party. If he were genuinely interested in fielding a southern candidate for the 2027 presidential election, he would have ceded the position of national chairman to the North, as is customary when a party plans to field a southern presidential candidate. This was a suggestion from those of us who genuinely wanted the party to survive. While Nigerians, especially in the North, may have overlooked the combination of a southern national chairman and a southern presidential candidate in 2023, they will not in 2027, having had time to prepare.

By refusing to do so, it is clear that Abure and his associates intend to use southern presidential candidates as financial assets, generating funds for themselves without any real intention of making the party competitive in 2027. This confirms suspicions that they are secretly working to secure the ruling party’s victory. I pity any southern presidential candidate who still believes there is a future in an Abure-led Labour Party, as they are clearly unaware of Nigeria’s current political realities.

I have never been deceitful or betrayed any cause I have fought for. My entry into politics was driven by my commitment to good governance, and I will continue to work towards this goal to ensure that Nigeria is led by incorruptible leaders. However, this can no longer be achieved within the current Labour Party, which, as presently constituted, is non-functional. Therefore, I am left with no choice but to resign from the party. I sincerely thank all Nigerians of goodwill who stood by us when we needed them most. I pledge my continued loyalty to the Nigerian people, regardless of the political path I choose to follow.

This resignation takes effect on February 25, 2025, marking the second anniversary of the 2023 presidential election. After this date, I will be free to join other well-meaning, like-minded Nigerians in shaping a brighter future for our country through good governance.

Thank you, and God bless.

Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Okonkwo