Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent figure in the Labour Party (LP), announced that he no longer identifies as a member under Julius Abure’s leadership. He made this declaration during a Friday appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, while acknowledging his ongoing membership in the LP. “Currently, I have effectively left if Abure remains Chairman,” he stated. DAILY POST reminds readers that in July 2024, the actor and politician had declared his exit from the LP and from his former ally, presidential candidate Peter Obi. Nevertheless, during the broadcast, Okonkwo, who previously served as the spokesperson for the LP’s presidential campaign council, clarified his resignation by asserting that he is still part of the party, but opposes Abure’s leadership. “I am a member of the Labour Party, but not under Julius Abure.” “If Abure successfully secures the National Chairmanship, it will be automatic,” he remarked. According to DAILY POST, the Labour Party is facing internal strife as both the Caretaker Committee, headed by Esther Nenadi Usman, and Abure are claiming leadership. Previously, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) invalidated Abure’s position, asserting that the national convention breached the Constitution and Electoral Act. This led to the appointment of Usman, a former senator from Kaduna South, as the head of a 29-member caretaker committee on September 4, 2024, following a stakeholders’ meeting called by Abia State Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia. The meeting was attended by prominent party figures, including Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in 2023, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed. In January, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld Abure’s chairmanship of the Labour Party. On January 17, Judge Hamma Barka affirmed that the court’s earlier decision from November 2024, which recognized Abure as the chairman, remains in effect and has not been nullified by any other court. This ruling responded to two appeals made by Nenadi Usman, representing the caretaker committee, and INEC.
