A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Kenneth Okonkwo, has released what he described as evidence to support his allegation of bribery involving the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.
Okonkwo, a former actor-turned-politician, had on Monday alleged that Obi and other NDC leaders in the South-East collected N10 million and N20 million from House of Representatives and senatorial aspirants, respectively.
He also claimed that one of the aspirants, Obunike Ohaegbu, provided him with details of the alleged payments alongside a receipt.
The allegation has since led to a lawsuit filed by Obi’s legal team.
The former Anambra State Governor, through a letter dated June 9, 2026, issued by his lawyers led by Alex Ejesieme (SAN), demanded N5 billion in damages and a public apology from Okonkwo.
He also threatened legal action against Okonkwo and indicated that he could seek higher damages if the demands are not met.
However, in a series of posts on his X handle on Wednesday morning, Okonkwo shared alleged WhatsApp conversations between him and Ohaegbu, which he said support his claims about Obi’s involvement in the party’s primary process.
Okonkwo wrote: “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 shared excerpts of the alleged chat, quoting Ohaegbu 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 post, defended his decision to go public with the allegations, insisting he had a duty as a lawyer and citizen to report what he described as wrongdoing.
He wrote, “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.”
Earlier, EDGE Online reported that Okonkwo dismissed Obi’s lawyers’ demand and said he had yet to read the letter.
He said he would respond formally after reviewing the letter.
The former spokesperson also warned that any legal action could lead to the disclosure of information he acquired while serving in that role.
Okonkwo is a former ally of Obi but went their separate ways after the latter defected from ADC to NDC.
