Veteran actor, lawyer and politician Kenneth Okonkwo has strongly criticized Peter Obi following his sudden exit from the African Democratic Congress to the National Democratic Congress.
Okonkwo says he predicted the move months earlier and warned party leaders not to rely on Obi.
In a detailed interview on Symfoni TV, Okonkwo revealed he told ADC leaders before Peter Obi was even unveiled as a key figure that the former Labour Party candidate would not stay to contest under the party. He advised them directly not to build any plans around Obi because he would eventually leave. Okonkwo also refused to join the coalition through the South East bloc led by Obi for the same reason. He did not want to be seen as unstable like Obi.
Okonkwo pointed out that within just six months Peter Obi had moved through three different parties. He started in the Labour Party on December 30th, joined ADC on December 31st, and moved to NDC by May 3rd. Without rules in the electoral law that limit party switching at certain times, Okonkwo believes Obi might have changed parties again before the next election cycle ends.
The main issue for Okonkwo is not the party change itself but the reason Obi gave for leaving. Obi said he had no problems with ADC leaders or other aspirants like Atiku Abubakar but was leaving because of challenges in the party and because he does not like trouble. Okonkwo called this a major red flag for anyone who wants to become president of Nigeria. He asked how a man who runs away from problems can lead a country facing serious issues like widespread insecurity, economic hardship, high unemployment, and daily killings by terrorists.
Okonkwo accused Obi of lying about the reasons for his exit. He explained that the main legal challenges Obi complained about existed long before he joined ADC. For example, a key case was filed in September, months before Obi came in on December 31st. The situation was basically the same when Obi left in May. Okonkwo said Obi knew about these issues when he joined but used them as an excuse later.
He also addressed claims about party primaries being influenced by money. Okonkwo said ADC actually gave Obi major control to prevent any complaints. Obi was allowed to nominate the National Organizing Secretary, the person in charge of congresses and primaries. Despite this, Obi still left, which Okonkwo believes shows he is afraid of open, fair, and credible primary elections.
Okonkwo warned that anyone who leaves the coalition to run separately is helping President Bola Tinubu, either directly or indirectly. He repeated that as things stand, Peter Obi is working for Tinubu by his actions.
On the bigger picture for the Igbo people, Okonkwo said they need a leader with courage and strength, not someone with a victim mentality. He described Obi’s departure as a blessing for ADC because it removes instability and allows the party to move forward strongly. He believes ADC did not need Obi as much as Obi needed the party platform.
Throughout the interview, Okonkwo discussed other national matters including the performance of the National Assembly under Senate President Godswill Akpabio, economic problems, attacks on Nigerians abroad, and coalition strategies ahead of 2027. He stood by his decision to distance himself from Obi early on, saying he stopped being Obi’s spokesperson because he saw the instability coming.
This strong reaction from Kenneth Okonkwo has sparked fresh debates across Nigerian political circles about loyalty, leadership character, and the best path for opposition forces in the next general elections.
