Kenneth Okonkwo, Labour Party spokesperson in 2022 presidential campaign has urged Nigerians not to be loyal to any politicians or party, who is not confident to defend his vote, fight injustice or go extra mile for the nation.
Okonkwo said this in a video interview while hailing Rivers State governor, Siminalayi fubara whose audaciousness of standing against the ruling party and Nigeria Police Force’s ploy to steal electoral materials in the Saturday Local Government Area (LGA) election is being celebrated.
The Labour Party spokesperson applauded the temerity of Fubara who stood his ground against political manipulation and godfatherism in the Rivers state and use his action and that of Donald Trump in America as a measurement of what a politician should be in Nigeria.
In his words: “Look at what happen to at Donald Trump in America, where security is everywhere, yet two times now, they wanted to kill him. Every profession has its own risk, if you are not willing to take the risk that is attached to any profession, step aside, so that people who are given that mind by God, will go ahead and serve God in that capacity.
“You are a politician and you can’t stand for people that voted for you because you don’t want to die, step aside because that is what the job entails.
“Any politician that is not behaving like Sim Fubara, who will resist and protest when his rights are trample upon, knowing that our electoral system has failed us, any politician who will not stand his ground, no matter the risk to his person, I say I will not speak for that politician again and I maintain it.” He stressed.
Okonkwo who was referring to his party presidential candidate in the 2023 election Peter Obi, revealed that he is no longer willing to speak for anyone again, who is not ready to defend his votes or fight for what is right like the Rivers State governor but would rather preach peace when cheated.
“If Fubara has been saying calm down, calm down, do you know where Rivers State would have been? He said he is ready for them, he is fully prepared, the election must go on, election must hold, winners must be declared, they will be sworn in and whatever is going to happen, let it happen.
“I am looking for leaders who will say nobody will rig my election and if you rig my election, I will fight, Nigerians come out and fight, if they kill anybody, let them kill all of us. Thank God I am seeing it happen.
“What Fubara did, was he advocating for violence? Was he advocating that the law should be broken? No. he was advocating for his right, that’s my advocacy. We must advocate for our rights and stand by it.” He argued.
Okonkwo submitted that he duly performed his own duty as the spokesperson of the party and did beyond what was expected of him but will not remain loyal to any individual or party that is not ready to defend his votes and fight for justice, emphasizing that it has nothing to do with betrayal.
“I am not going to speak for anybody going forward, except this person meets this criteria, in any case, we have finished 2023 election, it’s over, 2027 election has not come and there is nothing on ground to betray.
“When I was a spokesperson in 2023, I did my job creditably well and we convinced Nigerians on what we believe is right, but you see in Nigeria, you not only have the power to win election, you have to have the power to defend your election.
“So anyone who does not have the power to defend the votes in a manner that you will say whatever happens to me as a person, let it happen, I am not willing to speak further for the person. What I just said is that going forward, I will no longer be part of this until this fears are addressed.
He refuted disqualifying any particular person but will rather speak for someone who is not afraid to fight corruption in high places, irrespective of whatever may arise.
“I did not disqualify anybody because I don’t have that power and I am not training anybody because I am still a member of Labour Party and you can see I am still fighting that Labour Party should consolidate them because Nigerians are looking for an alternative to these people but if you want to fight these people who are compulsive thieves and who are the worst among us, leading us according to Senator Dume who is part of them, then you have to grow higher and become aggressive than calm down, that’s what I said and I stand by it.”
Referencing the bible, citing the case of Prophet Elijah, Okonkwo believes there are still honest people in the country who can govern without being compromised, arguing that if the few honest ones can’t speak out now, then those ones won’t have the courage to reveal themselves.
“When Elijah thought he was the only person that was worshipping God and God said No, you are not the only one, there are more than 7000 persons like you still that country that has not done anything evil.
The only thing we have to do in this country, we must not be sentimentally attached to any politician, we must not be loyal to any party or politician, we have to be loyal to the country and to the law and if any law is unjust, we have to fight the law, if anybody is doing anything illegal, no matter who the person is, we have to fight the person.
“In Nigeria, we have to create the environment, so that those 7000 that we did not know who are leaders will begin to emerge, if the good ones keep quiet, they will never emerge.”
He defended Nigerians whom were accused of selling their votes, he stated that they sold it because they knew their votes does not count and rather than losing out, they chose to gain whatever stipend was given to them.
“When people say, people are selling their votes, do you know why they are selling their votes, because they believe if they vote their conscience, it will not count, not because they want to be corrupt, we saw what happened in 2023.
“I was an active participant in that election of 2023, they will be like why would I say I want to go and vote for my conscience, so at least if I take this money, it will be what I gain.” Okonkwo concluded.
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