Actor-turned-politician and African Democratic Congress chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has escalated his allegations against the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, releasing what he described as WhatsApp conversations to back his claims of bribery within the party’s nomination process.
The controversy originates from Okonkwo’s earlier allegation that Obi and senior NDC leaders in the South-East collected between N10 million and N20 million from House of Representatives and senatorial aspirants during party arrangements ahead of primaries.
He further alleged that an aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu, provided details of the alleged transactions alongside a receipt, deepening a political face-off that has now spilled into legal confrontation.
Obi’s legal team has already clapped back, issuing a demand for N5 billion in damages and a public apology, alongside a threat of further legal action if the allegations are not withdrawn.
In a series of posts on his X account on Wednesday morning, Okonkwo shared screenshots of alleged WhatsApp exchanges between him and Ohaegbu, insisting the messages validate his position.
He stated, “Obunike Ohaegbu, when I questioned him to prove that Peter Obi was responsible for demanding the N10m from him and other HOR aspirants and N20m from the Senate aspirants, he made it clear that when he confronted the party on who authorised the payment, the party named Peter Obi and the caucus leaders who were assembled by Peter Obi.”
He also published excerpts of the alleged conversation in which Ohaegbu expressed frustration over the internal processes of the party and questioned how candidates were selected.
Ohaegbu was quoted as saying, “My brother, the entire NDC project, at least from my personal experience, has left me feeling deceived and profoundly disappointed … While other states, particularly Kano and several states in the North, appeared to be engaged in negotiations and consultations aimed at achieving consensus, neither I nor, to the best of my knowledge, any aspirant from Anambra State was invited to any meeting for the purpose of negotiating or agreeing a consensus arrangement.
“Consequently, I mobilised my supporters and participated fully in the primary election process in the belief that the outcome would determine the party’s candidates. This naturally raises a fundamental question. If no consensus meeting was held with the aspirants in Anambra State, and no agreement was reached amongst those seeking nomination, my brother Ken, how did your friend arrive at the list of candidates that he allegedly produced at Johnwood Hotel in Abuja?
“Consensus, by its very nature, requires consultation, negotiation and agreement amongst stakeholders. Where there is no consultation, no negotiation and no agreement, there can be no consensus. If aspirants were directed to participate in primaries while candidate lists were allegedly being prepared elsewhere, then serious questions arise about the integrity of the entire process. If that is not fraud, then the word fraud must have another meaning…”
Okonkwo, in another statement, defended his actions, insisting that his decision to go public was driven by civic responsibility.
He said, “Let me make it clear that as a citizen and a Lawyer, I have a duty to disclose every crime against the state that comes within my knowledge. The South-East people have suffered enough.
“No human being can again take them or any citizen of Nigeria for granted or perpetrate any fraud against them without challenge.”
The former campaign spokesman, once a close ally of Obi during the 2023 presidential election, also dismissed the legal threat, saying he had yet to fully review the letter from Obi’s lawyers but would respond formally in due course.
