Former Labour Party chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has endorsed the Supreme Court’s decision directing the Peoples Democratic Party to resolve its leadership issue internally, stating that political parties should be responsible for sorting out their challenges without involving the judiciary.
Recall that the Supreme Court ruled on a case brought by Samuel Anyanwu concerning the PDP’s national secretary, affirming that the matter was an internal issue for the party to address. The court’s decision, according to Naija News, emphasized that such disputes should be handled by the party itself rather than through legal intervention.
In an interview with Arise News on Monday, Okonkwo expressed his approval of the ruling, which he believes is crucial for the growth of Nigeria’s democracy. He argued that political parties should learn to resolve their issues independently rather than depending on the courts.
“Now you see why I said it’s a beautiful thing because the Supreme Court has come under terrible bashing for certain judgments they have given. And it’s quite wise of them to begin to relieve themselves of the manipulative tendencies of the Nigerian politician. So the implication is that the parties should learn to sink if they cannot swim,” Okonkwo said.
He further emphasized that political parties need to mature in their approach to internal issues. “They should learn to carry their problems inside and be matured enough, as matured adults, to sort out their problems. And not try to use the courts to undermine democracy and undermine each other,” he added.
Okonkwo concluded by reiterating his belief that political parties must be responsible for their own leadership decisions and should not rely on the judiciary to intervene in internal matters. “It’s a beautiful thing, swim or sink, simple,” he stated.
