A former spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election, has said he has lost confidence in the leadership of the party’s then presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The prominent Nollywood actor made this known in a statement he released on Sunday on his social media handles.
Okonkwo, who is also a lawyer, said: “What is happening in the 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 the 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’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 would 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 the PO would have brought the solution.
“I cannot continue with this ambivalence forever.