Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent figure within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has made serious allegations against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Okonkwo claims to possess evidence implicating Obi in a bribery scandal where Obi and other NDC leaders allegedly solicited N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants and N20 million from senatorial contenders. He asserts that these claims were corroborated by Obunike Ohaegbu, an aspirant, who reportedly provided him with payment details and a receipt.
Following these allegations, Obi’s legal team filed a lawsuit demanding N5 billion in damages and a public apology from Okonkwo. The lawyer representing Obi, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), has warned of further legal action for higher damages if these demands are not met.
In defense of his claims, Okonkwo shared purported WhatsApp conversations between himself and Ohaegbu, indicating that Ohaegbu attributed the demand for payments directly to Peter Obi and the caucus leaders he assembled. Okonkwo’s posts on social media further revealed Ohaegbu’s disappointment regarding the NDC’s primary process, where he felt excluded from any consensus-building meetings, particularly in contrast to negotiations occurring in other regions like Kano.
Ohaegbu criticized the primary process as lacking integrity, questioning how a list of candidates could be produced without consensus or consultation among aspirants. He expressed deep frustration and suggested that the actions taken amounted to fraud.
Okonkwo defended his public disclosure of the alleged corruption, claiming it is his civic duty as a lawyer to report wrongdoing that affects the state. He emphasized that the South-East has suffered enough injustices and vowed to challenge any fraudulent activities.
Despite Obi’s lawyers asserting their demand, Okonkwo maintained that he had not yet reviewed the legal correspondence and would respond formally once he had done so. The relationship between Okonkwo and Obi appears strained, stemming from Obi’s prior defection from the ADC to the NDC.
