Former Labour Party spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its internal crisis, accusing its leaders of becoming subservient to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okonkwo argued that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Nyesom Wike as a minister significantly weakened the PDP’s position as an opposition party.
In 2023, Wike, a former Rivers State governor and prominent PDP figure, accepted a ministerial role under Tinubu after openly opposing his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television program, on Friday, Okonkwo contended that the PDP leadership effectively surrendered to Wike, who, in his view, now operates in the interest of the APC.
“The PDP allowed some members, like the G5, to work against the party’s interests openly. Instead of holding them accountable, the party made excuses for them. Now, they are attempting to take over the party, and with Wike’s appointment, they have even more influence,” Okonkwo said.
He further argued that Wike’s position in the APC-led government left PDP leaders in a subordinate role.
“When the party’s supposed leader is serving in the APC, it means those under him are also indirectly serving the ruling party. The PDP is no longer an independent force—it has become a servant to a servant,” he added.
Reacting to Atiku’s recent claim that the APC is bribing opposition parties to weaken them ahead of the 2027 elections, he dismissed the allegation, insisting that such claims only expose the opposition’s weaknesses rather than indict the ruling party.
He argued that it was the responsibility of opposition parties to resist any attempts at manipulation.
“I will never blame the ruling party for what is happening in the opposition. Excuses and success do not go hand in hand. Atiku said the APC offered N50 million to destabilize the opposition, but that statement only proves that the opposition is corrupt. If there were no willing receivers, there would be no givers,” Okonkwo stated.
He described political sabotage as a legitimate strategy, emphasizing that opposition parties must stay united and resist external interference.
“The ruling party will naturally seek to weaken its opponents—it’s in their political interest. But if the opposition allows itself to be destabilized, then it is incompetent and corrupt,” he added.
Okonkwo called on opposition parties to take responsibility for their failures, urging them to reject any inducements and focus on strengthening their structures.
