Kenneth Okonkwo, a member of the Labour Party (LP), criticized Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for accepting a ministerial position under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government despite being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Okonkwo, who was a spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 general elections, believes that Wike’s appointment suggests that the PDP is in disarray.
In a conversation with Arise TV, Okonkwo reiterated the comment of the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, who recently stated that his party would continue to adjust to its new role as the country’s main opposition party. Obi claimed that the Labour Party would remain firmly in opposition and keep the ruling APC on its toes to protect the interests of Nigerians.
Okonkwo supported Obi’s statement, pointing out that the LP was the only opposition party with a robust agenda for the 2023 general elections, having won 25% of the vote in all six geopolitical zones. He also credited Obi with crafting a seven-point agenda that other parties copied during the campaign, albeit poorly.
Okonkwo accused the PDP of lacking competence, capacity, and character, noting that even Wike, a presidential aspirant and the first runner-up in the party’s primary election, had joined the APC as a minister. In his opinion, this move indicates that the PDP no longer exists as a political force in Nigeria.