Kenneth Okonkwo Blames Abure for Labour Party’s Crisis

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former spokesman for Obi/Datti Campaign Organisation, Kenneth Okonkwo, has blamed the  Labour Party(LP)’s national chairman, Julius Abure the party’s crisis. Okonkwo accused Abure of turning  LP into a personal business.

He said the party has no elected officials at the ward, local government and state levels because Abure appointed leaders of the party across the nation contrary to the party’s constitution.

 Okonkwo further claimed that despite court judgements on an inclusive convention, Abure refused to obey the court orders.

He further stated that Abure and his executive have hijacked the party that was supposed to represent the interest of the masses and workers.

Okonkwo said: “The major stakeholders of LP went to court and obtained a judgement that compelled Abure in 2018 to organize an all-inclusive convention, inaugurate the Board of Trustees (BOT) Till date Abure refused to obey the judgement.

“He never inaugurated the BOT till date. INEC in their magnanimity brokered an agreement between Abure and the stakeholders of LP to organise an all inclusive convention. Abure refused to obey the agreement.

“In LP today, there are no elected ward, local government, state, or national executives. Abure alone appointed every official of LP untill his tenure expired. This is shameful. Yes, LP is not a party that should be controlled by one man and that’s why Abure, the only one man that controlled LP is gone after the expiration of his tenure.

“It’s even more absurd that Abure who refused to obey court judgements is accusing other law-abiding stakeholders of LP of disobeying court orders. In law, he that pleads equity, must first of all do equity. In the communique, Abure confessed that INEC has rejected him; that the elected members of LP have rejected him; that the major LP stakeholders have rejected him. 

Who then does he want to govern?”

He continued: “The notices were faulty because the last notice to INEC was received only six days to the convention. The Electoral Act stipulated 21 days notice, while INEC, in order to assist the parties, whenever they change the venue, made a rule requiring at least seven days notice to INEC before any convention. Since they failed on the issue of notice, their purported 27th March, 2024, fake Nnewi convention is invalid. INEC was very correct in throwing them out and they will forever remain out.

“Nigerians got to know about the convention through a leaked notice to INEC. No announcement of the convention in any media house. This alone told everyone that there was never a time Abure intended to organise any convention.

“The members of LP or their duly elected delegates only are allowed by law to vote. If the members of LP were not even aware of the convention, who then voted? If there were no elected ward, local government, state executives in today’s LP, where were the elected delegates that voted? Little wonder, there was no position that was contested for. 

All the purported positions were appointed once more by Abure alone. Yet these incurable liars lied that all the laws were complied with,” he stated.