By Henry Oduah

Actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has announced his resignation from the Labour Party effective February 25, 2025.

Okonkwo said on Tuesday in a lengthy post on X that his decision to resign from the party was because the party is “non-existent as presently constituted.”

He wrote, “In the Constitution of Labour Party, the tenure of the ward, local government, and state party executives is three years (See Article 15(2)(3)(4) of the Labour Party Constitution). Having conducted no congresses at these levels within the constitutionally allowed tenure of the executives, their regimes have effectively expired.

“The former National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his former National Working Committee, having conducted no national convention known to law, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the courts having held that the issue of the leadership of a political party is the internal affair of a political party for which the courts do not have the jurisdiction to entertain, there’s no effective leadership of Labour Party at the national level.

“The Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee, which was duly and legally set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party, after the non-recognition of Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC, and was given six months to conduct congresses and the convention, was the only viable option towards salvaging the Labour Party.

“Unfortunately, Abure and his colleagues, with the collaboration of outside forces, expectedly, being political jobbers, launched unnecessary legal challenges against this Caretaker Committee that have inhibited it from functioning.”

Okonkwo, also a lawyer, said that if Abure was interested in the emergence of a southern candidate in Labour Party to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, he would cede the position of national chairman to the north.

“Since the party is non-existent as presently constituted, I am constrained to resign my membership of the party to all Nigerians of goodwill who supported us when we needed them most and to pledge my continued loyalty to the Nigerian people in all I will decide to do in my political future,” Okonkwo added.

“This resignation takes effect from the 25th of February, 2025, which marks the second anniversary of the presidential election of 2023, after which I will be at liberty to join other well meaning, and like minded Nigerians in charting a great future of good governance for this great country blessed by God.”

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The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Aliyu Umar Yusuf, has declared vacant the seat for Dekina/Okura State Constituency in the current eight Assembly.

This is sequel to the death of the Deputy Speaker and member representing Dekina/Okura State Constituency, Enema Paul.

Ekwutosblog recalls that Enema Paul, who died on 14 December 2024 at a private hospital in Abuja, had since been buried according to Christian rite.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Yusuf noted that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives him the power to declare the seat vacant following the demise of the former Deputy Speaker.

“By the power conferred on me as the Speaker of the eight Assembly, I hereby declare the seat for Dekina/Okura State Constituency vacant so that the people can have a representation in this hallow chamber,” he stated.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the development to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, so that a bye-election can be conducted for Dekina/Okura State Constituency.

A member of the House of Representatives, Amos Gwamna Magaji, has left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Magaji, who represents Java/Zango Kataf Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, cited internal conflicts within the PDP as his reason for switching parties.

Magaji, a two-term lawmaker, serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Health Care Services and leads the Kaduna caucus in the House.

He is also the Deputy Chairman of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Restructuring Government Agencies, which is reviewing the Stephen Oronsaye report.

Amos Gwamna Magaji

Over the years, he has been involved in committees handling defense, police affairs, constitution review, and other key legislative matters.

This marks the third defection of a PDP member to the APC since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, following Chris Nkwonta and Eriatheke Ibori-Suenu.