The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) cane to the fore again as Kenneth Okonkwo, former presidential campaign spokesperson, slammed the leadership of Julius Abure, as the party’s national chairman.
Okonkwo claimed that if Abure remains national chair, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will select LP’s 2027 presidential candidate.
Okonkwo’s comments came after a federal high court validated Abure’s leadership, prompting Nenadi Usman, chair of the caretaker committee, to announce an appeal.
“The Labour Party, as presently constituted, is now a housemaid to APC”, Okonkwo said during an interview with Arise Television on Friday. “The 2027 presidential candidate of the Labour Party will be decided on the table of APC.
“We know their moves. They are meeting the people now who help people to win cases in court.”
Okonkwo questioned Abure’s legitimacy, citing his admission that he wasn’t elected by party members. “You cannot sit down in your house or backyard and call yourself any name and expect people to agree.”
“Well, first of all, I said this before and I’m saying it again, I have no business with any Abure-led Labour Party. So, that is settled,” Okonkwo said.
“At any point in time it is decided that Abure is the chairman of the Labour Party, that ends it for me (and) for the Labour Party.
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“Because we set out saying we would destroy the structure of criminality and that agenda has not been removed.
“It’s important to note that before Abure went to court, INEC had rejected him. The elected members rejected him, members of Labour Party did not vote for him.
“By his own admission, you can recall that Abure said he came out unopposed. Abure said everybody in that NWC came out unopposed. So that’s an admission that no single member of Labour Party voted for them.
He criticized Abure’s leadership approach as “transactional politics,” pointing to the withdrawal of tickets reserved for Peter Obi and Alex Otti.
“Every ticket in the Labour Party is reserved for APC people,” Okonkwo alleged. “It’s not an indictment; he said it openly, but I can see the nexus.”
The LP has faced internal conflicts since Oluchi Oparah, national treasurer, accused Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion. The federal capital territory high court had restrained Abure from parading himself as national chair.
As the party’s crisis deepens, Okonkwo’s statements highlight concerns about external influence and the legitimacy of Abure’s leadership.
The Labour Party‘s future hangs in the balance, with many wondering if the party can overcome its internal struggles to present a united front in the 2027 elections.
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