Politics

JUST IN: Kenneth Okonkwo Dumps Labour Party, Part Ways With Peter Obi

Published

1 year ago

July 28, 2024

Actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has dumped the Labour Party (LP).

Okonkwo, one of the spokespersons for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 elections, also announced he is parting ways with Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate.

Recall Okonkwo had defected to LP on 24 August 2022, one month after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the party’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket.

The 55-year-old, at the time said he joined LP to promote good governance and a new Nigeria.

According to him, he no longer have confidence that Peter Obi have what it takes to build a party that can win Kakistocrats and Kleptocrats.

He noted that Nigeria needs a decisive leader who is selfless enough to secure victory.

Furthermore, he said he is searching for a leader who has integrity, charisma and bravery to mobilise people to sustain victory.

He, however stressed that he is committed, irreversibly, to a great Nigeria built on equity, justice and fairness.

Recently, Okonkwo has been critical of the national working committee (NWC) of the LP led by Julius Abure, chairman of the party.

In June 2024, Okonkwo described the LP as “a secret society led by a group of clowns”, adding that he could not rule out leaving the party.

In a statement published on his X handle, the LP chieftain said the recent happenings in the party have “inspired” him to “a determination to chart a new course for my political journey”.

He said: “I have decided to continue my political journey into the great Nigeria of our vision without Peter Obi. I am always 100% loyal to a leader wherever I am working or following the leader. At any time I have doubts and can no longer offer 100% loyalty to him, I will respectfully let him know.

”When I joined myself to his campaign, now that I can not guarantee my support for his future aspirations, I believe I owe it to everyone to let everyone know.

”With this declaration, I am free to embark on negotiation and consultation with every like-minded people to determine the next step in my political journey, which does not include joining APC or PDP for now, but includes, and not limited to the consolidation of Labour Party.

”We need a solid political party with a solid grassroots base to be able to wrestle power from these kakistocrats and kleptocrats.

”We, therefore, need a decisive leader who will be able to build such a party of integrity and character from the grassroots, because eventually, the majority of the people that will populate a government will proceed from the political party of the leader.”

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

16 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

17 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.

Politics

Wike Speaks On Defecting To APC

Published

22 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, dismissed any possibility of dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Wike, however, disclosed that a lot of PDP leaders will join him if he decides to defect to the APC.

The Minister, who spoke during his media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said: “Today, if I say that I want to go to APC that will be the end of even talking about it.

“You will see other states, joining, leaders in other states joining, I’m not a leader that’s concentrated in the state. No.

“If today I say gentlemen, we have had enough of PDP we have to move, watch those who will decamp in Benue, Plateau, Abia, Edo.”

The Minister also declared that he is still a member of the PDP, hence Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is unhappy.

“I’m a member of the PDP, that’s why I’m still there and Seyi is not happy. That’s not correct, that you are a member of the assembly or council Chairman or National Assembly does not mean that there is no other person,” he added.