“Wike’s appointment as minister shows PDP is not in existence” — Kenneth Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), has taken a swipe at Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for accepting to serve as a minister under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government despite being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Okonkwo, who served as one of the spokespersons of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 general elections, said Wike’s appointment is an indication that the PDP is in disarray.

He made the comment during a chat with Arise TV following a remark by the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi.

Obi had recently said that his party would continue to adjust to its “new role as the country’s main opposition party.”

According to Obi, the Labour Party would remain firmly in opposition and keep the ruling APC) on its toes to protect the Nigerians’ interest.

Reiterating Obi’s claim, Okonkwo said that given that the LP was the only opposition with a robust agenda ahead of the 2023 general elections and its winning of 25% in all the six geopolitical zones, it had cemented its opposition as the main opposition party.

He said, “To take you back to the time of the campaigns, you may remember that Peter Obi was the only person that crafted the seven-point agenda that all the other parties were copying from, albeit doing a terrible job at it.

“You may remember he was the one who came out as a candidate and defended his agenda, which included security and uniting the country.

“If you checked all these people (the presidential candidates), you would realise that they were simply copying from him without learning the routes he wanted to achieve those things.

“Apart from knowing exactly what he wanted, he had the commensurate competence, capacity and character to thrive, which are lacking in the other candidates.

“So that’s why he’s now saying we are the main opposition party. So, he has earned the accolade of being the main opposition leader. And I will tell you that he will do it effectively well, pending when Nigeria realises the dream of a new nation through him.

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“And in all honesty, PDP is not in existence in the political realm of Nigeria. Because let’s take an example of what is happening in the PDP.

“A presidential aspirant of the PDP (Wike) who was the first runner-up during the presidential primary election of the party, and who vowed that he would never leave the party no matter what is now a minister in the APC, telling you that PDP has totally been absorbed by the APC.”