Kenneth Okonkwo, a former spokesperson and prominent figure in the Labour Party (LP), has publicly accused Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, of betrayal and poor leadership amid ongoing internal crises within the party.
In an interview with Symfoni TV, Okonkwo criticized Obi claiming Obi aligning with the faction of the party led by Julius Abure, which he alleged has links with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said Obi ignored repeated appeals to distance himself from Abure’s camp, a decision he claims has deepened the division within the party.
“The problem is that Peter Obi refused to manage the party,” Okonkwo said. “He chose to align with the very people who are allegedly hobnobbing with the APC. When people advised him to separate himself from that faction, he paid deaf ears.”
The actor-turned-politician accused Obi of alienating loyal party members by endorsing candidates from other political parties during recent elections. He also described Obi as a “politician of convenience, not conviction,” claiming the former Anambra governor lacks the qualities of a team player and effective leader.
“When we started in 2023, it was an organic movement. Every Nigerian wanted change. I joined of my own accord, and when I was appointed spokesperson, I gave it my all,” Okonkwo stated. “We believe we won the election. But instead of consolidating for 2027, Obi has failed to even start with his own party.”
Okonkwo, who left the LP in July 2024, dismissed suggestions that his departure constituted a betrayal of Obi. Instead, he insisted that he had been the one betrayed.
“Any politician who knows what he is doing cannot be betrayed by anybody. If there is anybody who betrayed the other, I can say it emphatically that Peter Obi betrayed me,” he said.
He further claimed that Obi lacks the capacity to convert electoral support into a secure mandate. “He has proved that even if the people vote for him, he doesn’t have what it takes to secure the mandate,” he added.
A month before his departure, Okonkwo had described the LP as “a secret society led by a group of clowns,” citing disillusionment with the party’s internal operations and strategic direction.
