Kenneth Okonkwo, Nigerian actor and political figure, has intensified his corruption allegations against the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), including its presidential candidate Peter Obi, releasing what he describes as documentary evidence to support his claims.
The renewed accusations centre on alleged financial demands placed on political aspirants during the party’s primary elections, a claim the NDC leadership has yet to formally respond to in detail.
Okonkwo Escalates Allegations Over Primary Election Conduct
Okonkwo insists that aspirants were pressured into making unlawful payments to secure party tickets, including alleged demands of ₦10 million for House of Representatives aspirants and ₦20 million for Senate aspirants.
His latest comments come after receiving a pre-litigation notice from Peter Obi’s legal team, which threatened a ₦5 billion defamation lawsuit over earlier remarks made during a television interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
In that interview, Okonkwo had alleged that House of Representatives aspirants were coerced into paying bribes under Obi’s leadership within the party structure.
Claims Supported With Private Chats and Testimonies
Responding via posts on social media platform X, Okonkwo dismissed the legal threats and published excerpts of private conversations he says were with Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant for the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency.
According to Okonkwo, the chats and discussions suggest that party leadership was directly involved in determining financial expectations and candidate selection processes during the primaries.
He also alleged that Ohaegbu described Peter Obi as central to the alleged irregularities, including the compilation of candidate lists.
Okonkwo further claimed that some individuals listed as candidates had not won or even participated in the primaries, citing Senator Victor Umeh as one example mentioned in the alleged correspondence.
Party Guidelines and Counterclaims
To strengthen his position, Okonkwo referenced internal party clarifications and past statements by Senator Seriake Dickson, which outlined that aspirants are only required to pay for Expression of Interest forms, not additional levies.
He argued that any extra financial demands placed on aspirants prior to primaries would be inconsistent with party rules and therefore unlawful.
Okonkwo also alleged that when concerns were raised within the party about the additional payments, officials directed inquiries back to Obi’s state-level caucus.
Call for Investigation
The former APC chieftain and lawyer called for urgent investigations by anti-corruption and security agencies into the financial operations of the NDC during its primaries.
He maintained that his disclosures were in the public interest and aimed at ensuring accountability and possible restitution for affected aspirants.
According to him, the allegations, if properly investigated, could expose systemic irregularities in the party’s candidate selection process.
As of the time of filing this report, Peter Obi and the NDC leadership have not issued a detailed public response to the latest claims.
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