Hours after Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesman for the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, announced his resignation, the party’s leadership has labeled him a mole within their ranks.
Okonkwo left the LP on Sunday, citing ongoing internal strife and a leadership crisis threatening to destabilize the party. The legal practitioner and Nollywood actor also expressed a loss of confidence in the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to lead Nigeria effectively, stating the country needs a decisive and selfless leader.
Reacting to the resignation, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said Okonkwo’s departure was unsurprising to party followers who had suspected his loyalty. Ifoh condemned Okonkwo’s criticism of Obi, calling it unnecessary and unfortunate.
“Kenneth Okonkwo’s resignation from the Labour Party didn’t come to us as a surprise. We also think that his attack on the party’s leader, Peter Obi, is rather unfortunate. However, we will continue not to dignify him with any response as we understand that his attention-craving attitude knows no bounds,” Ifoh stated.
Ifoh highlighted a pattern of recent resignations from the party, noting that Doyin Okupe, a former Director-General of the party’s presidential campaign organization, and an ex-deputy Director General had both resigned and rejoined the APC. He suggested that Okonkwo, a former APC member, had joined the LP campaign under false pretenses.
“Nigeria is not in want of political jesters and jobbers whose stomachs are their gods. The Labour Party is not perturbed by his decision to move on and in fact, we wish him well in his future endeavours, whether in acting, law practice, politics or otherwise,” Ifoh added.
Ifoh also warned of other potential moles within the party, who he claimed were attempting to create crises and hijack the party for their paymasters. He urged these individuals to act swiftly before being exposed and removed.
Reaffirming the party’s commitment to Peter Obi as their leader and presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Ifoh emphasized that the LP would not be swayed by coordinated attacks. He expressed confidence in Obi’s ability to lead Nigeria, highlighting the strong support from the “Obidient” movement and the youth.
“The Labour Party is keeping to its decision to stand with Peter Obi as its leader and presidential hopeful come the 2027 presidential election, and we are not apologetic about that position,” Ifoh concluded. “Nigerians spoke loudly in 2023 and they will speak even louder come 2027.”
