Former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Kenneth Okonkwo, has met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election. The meeting has sparked discussions about Okonkwo’s next political move after his recent exit from the Labour Party.
Okonkwo, who had been a strong supporter of LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, shared details of his meeting with Atiku on his Instagram account on Saturday.
Okonkwo wrote, “It’s a privilege and honour to be invited by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar for a consultative meeting on how best to chart a new course for our beloved country. The situation in Nigeria today requires the cooperation of every well-meaning Nigerian to ensure that our country is restored to its path of greatness.”
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Okonkwo’s Exit from the Labour Party
The meeting with Atiku comes just months after Okonkwo resigned from the Labour Party, citing Obi’s failure to transform the party into a strong political force capable of challenging the ruling class.
“After the 2023 general election, Nigerians, including me, had high hopes for the Labour Party. I believed that Peter Obi would seize the momentum and build a solid party of integrity,” Okonkwo had said at the time of his resignation.
He explained that despite his initial trust in Obi’s leadership, he was disappointed by the lack of progress in strengthening the party. “I continued in his defence believing he would still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems, (but) to no avail,” he stated.
Okonkwo has been vocal about the challenges facing Nigeria’s political system, describing the country’s leadership as dominated by “kakistocrats and kleptocrats.” He has argued that a strong, grassroots-based political party is necessary to wrest power from corrupt leaders.
Political Future and Speculations
Although Okonkwo previously said he had no plans to join the PDP or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), his meeting with Atiku has led to speculation about his political future. Many Nigerians are now wondering whether he will align himself with Atiku’s political camp or form a new coalition.
For now, Okonkwo has not publicly declared any change in political affiliation. However, his latest move indicates that he remains actively engaged in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.
His meeting with Atiku is part of ongoing political realignments as opposition figures explore strategies to challenge the APC-led government ahead of the next general elections.