Former spokesperson for Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said the former Anambra State governor had a rare opportunity to become a great leader but failed to make the sacrifices necessary to hold on to it.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on the Selah Meditate Podcast, where he was asked to describe President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Obi in one sentence.
Speaking about Obi, the former campaign spokesperson said Nigerians were prepared to give him their support and political power without the usual struggle that comes with securing elective office.
“Peter Obi is a man who had opportunity of being great and dashed it by himself. No system will give you egg without breaking it. You can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg,” he said.
Okonkwo said Obi needed to make whatever sacrifices were required to preserve the opportunity that had been presented to him.
“He’s a man that God and living people would have loved to give him what he wants, but he needs to make the necessary sacrifice, no matter what it will entail, to hold onto that free gift,” Okonkwo said.
He further argued that Obi’s political situation was unusual because Nigerians were, for the first time, willing to hand political power to someone without demanding the conventional incentives often associated with elections.
“For the first time in Nigeria, people are willing to give somebody power free of charge. You should be able to make every sacrifice needed, no matter what,” he added.
Okonkwo also offered his assessment of Atiku when asked to describe the former vice-president.
“If you tell me to describe Atiku, I will say benevolent leader that doesn’t want to give up until he ensures the nation has a taste of the benevolence,” he said.
He described Atiku as a “good leader” and “humane leader” who wanted to contribute to rescuing the country within his lifetime.
His assessment of Tinubu, however, was sharply different, as he described the President as the “worst leader” Nigeria would ever have.
Okonkwo was a prominent member of Obi’s campaign ahead of the 2023 presidential election before subsequently aligning with the opposition political movement around Atiku.
Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election behind Tinubu and Atiku and has remained a prominent opposition figure ahead of the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
