Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent figure in the Labour Party (LP), has voiced his displeasure with the party’s current state.

Okonkwo, who served as the LP’s presidential campaign spokesperson in the 2023 election, criticized the party, calling it “a secret society led by a group of clowns.”

The LP has been mired in a leadership crisis since Lamidi Apapa, the deputy national chairman (south), declared himself the acting national chairman last year.

This turmoil escalated in 2024 when Julius Abure was re-elected as chairman at a national convention in Anambra, which a faction of the party opposed.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) noted that it did not monitor the convention.

The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) denounced the convention, calling it a charade and asserting that Abure’s tenure as chairman had ended.

In an interview with Symfoni, Okonkwo did not rule out the possibility of leaving the LP if the party fails to hold credible national conventions.

He said “Any party that is not visibly committed to the welfare of Nigerians will most likely not see me there. I don’t rule out going back to anything because change is constant.

“My own labour party is not impressing me. Assuming they continue on this trajectory where they cannot even hold an acceptable national convention, then you’d tell me I’d be there?

“I was a spokesperson at the presidential level and I did not know that the Labour Party was having a convention. When I saw it on social media, I thought it was fake. They were rejected in Umuahia because it was a leprous convention.

“Those people are clowns. It is the greatest joke I have ever seen in a political party and then you want to position yourself as a party of integrity. You cannot give what you don’t have.”

He added “Aburi and his cohorts, their tenure is over. Let Aburi and his cohorts get behind me. They are workers of iniquity. I don’t rate them. That executive is in charge of the secret society. They should be apprehended.”

Okonkwo, who transitioned from Nollywood to politics, left the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022 due to its adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

He joined the LP a month later, pledging to support Peter Obi’s presidential campaign.

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has congratulated the Muslim faithful in the state and beyond on the occasion of the Eid-il-Kabir celebration, urging them to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice that defines the festive period.

According to a government house statement, Gov Adeleke recognizes the significance of the festival as a reminder of the unfailing grace of Almighty Allah on humanity, noting that the occasion underscores the reward of obedience and faith in Allah subhanawattahallah.

He charged the Muslim faithful to take a cue from Prophet Ibrahim’s (ASW) act of selflessness and submissive posture, called on Muslim faithfuls to use the occasion to renew bonds and build a safe and healthy society.

“I congratulate every Muslim on this significant Islamic festival and ask that we rededicate ourselves to upholding the essence of the occasion, which underscores sacrifice and faith in Allah,” he noted.

“Let us use this period to uphold the spiritual benefit of the celebration by sharing love and togetherness across all divides, while not forgetting to seek the face of Allah for continuous peace and progress of Osun state and Nigeria as a whole.

“As a government, we are taking the lead on sacrifice in order to bring about a better situation for the people as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim (ASW), and I urge the people to exercise this same attitude so as to achieve a better condition in the social, economic, and political landscape of not just Osun state but also Nigeria.

“I call for sustained support and prayer for our administration in our drive to transform Osun and make it the envy of other places not just in Nigeria, but across Africa.”

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his administration’s pledge to upgrade Senior Secondary education in the state to enhance foundation for university education.

The governor, according to a government statement, made the pledge at the Government House while hosting the Executive Secretary of the Senior Secondary Education Commission, Dr Iyela Ajayi.

It was gathered the team was in Osun State to select a model school for rehabilitation and upgrade.

While describing Osun as a state that places a high premium on all round education from lower level to the tertiary stage, the Governor said, “We are a government that believes strongly in education as a potent catalyst for state development.

“Our government therefore believes in providing a conducive environment for students and teachers to achieve learning goals. The target is to produce all rounded citizens with a sound mind.

“To achieve those lofty ideals, our government devoted precious attention to upgrading learning facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. With two state universities, two polytechnics and several private and federal higher institutions, we ensure no area is lacking in terms of requisite support.”

He told the delegation that Osun State was already working to domesticate the secondary education board law, adding that the state is poised to partner deeply with the national Commission.

“I call for a deeper partnership between Osun and your commission. Before the end of this month, Osun state will domesticate the law for the establishment of a Senior Secondary education board. This is already at the third reading at the State Assembly,” Gov Adeleke added.

He stated that the state is rebuilding almost all schools, expanding her pool of teachers by over five thousand; and sustaining the school feeding programme out of the 36 states.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Dr Iyela Ajayi commended Gov Adeleke’s delivery on education and other sectors of the state, informing that his team has visited some schools in the state and is impressed with the positive development across the state.

He expressed happiness at the embrace of the domestication request by the state government, calling a state law for senior Secondary school development as a condition for partnering with the national commission.

“I commend Your Excellency for the good job you are doing in the state. We have gone round and our commission is eager to be part of good news happening to Osun people”, the Executive Secretary accompanied by his top officials noted.