Renowned actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has escalated his allegations against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, releasing what he describes as documentary evidence of corruption within the party’s primary process.
Okonkwo insisted that aspirants were forced into making illicit payments to secure party tickets, particularly during the House of Representatives and Senate primaries.
His latest claims come days after receiving a pre-litigation notice from Obi’s legal team, which threatened a ₦5 billion defamation suit over earlier remarks made on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
In that interview, Okonkwo alleged that House of Representatives aspirants were compelled to pay a ₦10 million bribe under Obi’s leadership.
In a series of posts on Wednesday morning, Okonkwo dismissed the legal threats and published alleged private exchanges involving NDC House of Representatives aspirant Obunike Ohaegbu, who contested the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency seat.
Although Ohaegbu has since softened his public position, Okonkwo maintained that the aspirant privately accused Obi of being central to the alleged extortion network.
“In all honesty, I cannot even say everything this man told me about Peter Obi just to preserve the remaining of Peter Obi’s tattered reputation… I asked him, ‘Are you saying Peter Obi is the head of this criminal gang?’ He said, ‘Peter Obi is the head, stomach, and feet of the criminal gang,’” Okonkwo wrote.
He also shared excerpts of alleged chat records, in which Ohaegbu reportedly questioned the credibility of a candidate list said to have been compiled at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja. The list allegedly included individuals who neither won nor participated in the primaries, including Senator Victor Umeh.
Okonkwo further cited Ohaegbu’s claim that when aspirants raised concerns over additional fees—₦10 million for House of Representatives seats and ₦20 million for Senate tickets—the party referred them back to Obi’s state caucus for clarification.
He argued that this contradicted established party guidelines, referencing former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson, who has maintained that aspirants are only required to pay for Expression of Interest and nomination forms, with no additional pre-primary levies permitted.
Calling for urgent intervention, Okonkwo urged anti-corruption and security agencies to launch a full investigation into the NDC’s primary financing structure, insisting that his disclosures were aimed at recovering funds allegedly paid by aspirants.
“As a citizen and lawyer, I have a duty to disclose every crime against the state that comes within my knowledge… the appropriate agencies should investigate this fraud and ensure refunds to affected aspirants,” he said.
