Political Turbulence Rocks Labour Party as Kenneth Okonkwo Alleges Pro-Tinubu Sabotage Within Ranks

 

The Labour Party (LP), once hailed as a rising force in Nigeria’s political landscape, is increasingly embroiled in internal discord that threatens to derail its stability. In a startling new allegation, prominent party member and actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has publicly accused the Julius Abure-led leadership of the LP of operating as agents of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to Okonkwo, this alleged alliance is designed to undermine the influence and ambitions of the party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday, Okonkwo did not mince words as he painted a picture of deep infiltration and manipulation within the party’s upper echelon. He claimed that Abure and his loyalists were no longer acting in the best interest of the LP but were instead executing a strategy orchestrated by external powers to destabilize the movement Obi had come to represent during the 2023 general elections.

“I told Obi that these people had become agents in the hands of the government to destabilise him,” Okonkwo revealed. His statement was laden with frustration and disappointment as he described what he perceived to be a betrayal not just of party ideals, but of Obi personally.

What appears to have intensified Okonkwo’s dismay is Obi’s decision to re-engage with the Abure-led leadership soon after the warning. “And after saying all those things, within like 72 hours, Obi went back to Abure’s office to publicly endorse them,” he lamented.

This endorsement, which many assumed was an attempt at fostering unity, now appears to have backfired. Instead of quelling discontent, it has sparked deeper suspicion and widened internal fractures. Okonkwo’s accusation adds to a mounting perception that Labour Party is being consumed by forces from within, rather than beaten by opponents from the outside.

Peter Obi himself had earlier raised alarms over what he described as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)'s infiltration of the LP, suggesting that such infiltration was largely responsible for the crisis currently bedeviling the party. His comments drew significant attention, as they pointed toward a larger strategic maneuver by the APC to undermine opposition parties through covert influence and division.

Yet the Labour Party's national secretary, Umar Ibrahim, took issue with Obi’s characterization of the party's internal woes. Ibrahim responded by accusing the former presidential candidate of misleading the Nigerian public. He contended that internal disagreements were not unique to LP and that other major political parties in the country are also grappling with similar internal rifts.

“All political parties in Nigeria have one form of internal conflict or the other,” Ibrahim insisted, effectively dismissing Obi’s allegations of external sabotage as exaggerated or misdirected.

Despite the visible cracks within the Labour Party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to recognize Julius Abure as the official national chairman of the party. This recognition provides Abure with institutional legitimacy, though it has done little to quell the discontent brewing beneath the surface.

Leadership battles are intensifying within the LP as multiple factions now lay claim to the party’s future direction. Aside from Abure, other figures such as Arabambi and Nenadi Usman have emerged as contenders for the position of national chairman, further complicating the power struggle. These multiple claims to leadership not only reflect personal ambition but also underline the absence of a cohesive, agreed-upon process for conflict resolution within the party structure.

Observers worry that the LP, once seen as a breath of fresh air in Nigeria's political arena and a credible alternative to the dominant APC and PDP, may fall into irrelevance if these internal divisions are not resolved. With the 2027 general elections already on the horizon, the party’s ability to present a united front and a viable platform for change may depend on how swiftly it can navigate this current crisis.

As allegations of betrayal, manipulation, and external interference continue to swirl, the future of the Labour Party—and the political aspirations of Peter Obi—hangs in the balance. Whether the party can recover from this tumult and reassert its position as a credible political force remains an open question, one that only time—and perhaps a dramatic internal reckoning—can answer.