Olayiwola Mercy
Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and former spokesperson for Peter Obi’s 2023 campaign, reignited controversy this week by releasing what he called “evidence” of bribery in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries. He alleged that presidential candidate Peter Obi and South-East NDC leaders demanded N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants and N20 million from senatorial aspirants, in addition to official nomination fees.
The claims first surfaced during Okonkwo’s June 8, 2026, appearance on Channels Television’s _Sunrise Daily_, where he said an Anambra aspirant sent him an “SOS message” about irregularities. He named the whistle-blower as Obunike Ohaegbu, who sought the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency seat. Okonkwo said aspirants were initially told only expression of interest forms were required, but later faced additional payments before primaries were held.
In response, Peter Obi’s legal team, led by Alex Ejesieme, SAN, issued a letter dated June 9, 2026, demanding N5 billion in damages, a public apology, and retraction within seven days. The letter described Okonkwo’s statements as “false, malicious and defamatory,” saying they portrayed Obi as engaged in bribery, extortion, fraud, and criminal conduct. Obi’s lawyers also alleged Okonkwo claimed Obi compiled the party’s candidate list from a hotel room and collected money from people abroad.
Undeterred by the lawsuit threat, Okonkwo posted screenshots of alleged WhatsApp conversations with Ohaegbu on his X account on Wednesday morning. He quoted Ohaegbu as saying that when aspirants confronted the party about who authorized the payment, “the party named Peter Obi and the caucus leaders who were assembled by Peter Obi”. Okonkwo insisted the chats proved Obi’s involvement in what he called “charade primary elections” by the NDC.
Okonkwo further alleged that Ohaegbu questioned how a candidate list was produced at Johnwood Hotel in Abuja without consultation. He also referenced internal party communications that he claimed linked additional fees to directives from party leadership structures. According to Okonkwo, aspirants were told all contestants would go to the field, then were later asked for N10m and N20m payments.
Reacting to the N5bn demand, Okonkwo mocked Obi on X, writing: “If Peter Obi is looking for money to campaign, he should privately ask me for assistance, not come from extortion, and I will help him”. He claimed he personally covered expenses as Obi’s spokesperson in 2023, including flight tickets and hotel bookings. He warned that suing a former spokesperson was “very unwise” and said lawyers must take responsibility for any information he might divulge.
Okonkwo called on anti-graft agencies to investigate and ensure affected aspirants are refunded. He maintained that “whoever votes for Obi and the NDC in 2027 is voting criminality”. As of filing, there had been no official response from Obi or the NDC leadership to the latest allegations.
The dispute escalates a rift between Obi and Okonkwo, who was once a key ally in the Labour Party before moving to the ADC. With legal threats issued and WhatsApp “receipts” now public, the matter is poised for court unless retracted. Obi’s team maintains the claims are baseless and defamatory, while Okonkwo insists he has documentary evidence and will not back down.
