Actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his allegations of corruption against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and other party leaders in the Southeast.
Okonkwo alleged that aspirants seeking elective positions under the party were pressured into making unauthorized payments during the party’s primary election process.
The latest development follows a pre-action notice issued by Obi’s legal team, which threatened a N5 billion defamation lawsuit over comments Okonkwo made during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. During the interview, he alleged that House of Representatives aspirants were compelled to pay N10 million each to secure party tickets.
In a series of posts shared on Wednesday, Okonkwo dismissed the legal threat and disclosed details of what he said were private conversations with Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant for the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency.
According to Okonkwo, although Ohaegbu later publicly downplayed the allegations, he had privately accused Obi of playing a central role in the alleged extortion scheme.
Okonkwo further claimed that Ohaegbu expressed concerns about the process used to select candidates in Anambra State, alleging that a list of candidates was compiled outside the official primary election process. He said the aspirant questioned the inclusion of some individuals who allegedly did not emerge as winners in the primaries.
To support his allegations of unauthorized financial demands, Okonkwo cited what he described as communications involving party officials. According to him, when aspirants sought clarification over the alleged N10 million fee for House of Representatives aspirants and N20 million fee for Senate aspirants, responsibility for the payments was allegedly linked to the party’s state leadership structure.
The former Labour Party chieftain also referenced previous comments by Senator Seriake Dickson, who reportedly maintained that aspirants were only required to pay for Expression of Interest forms, while additional nomination fees were to be paid solely by candidates who emerged victorious in party primaries.
Okonkwo called on anti-corruption and security agencies to investigate the allegations and examine the party’s financial dealings during the primary election period. He said any individuals found to have been unlawfully charged should be refunded.
The allegations have intensified the ongoing dispute between Okonkwo and Obi. At the time of filing this report, neither Obi nor the NDC leadership had publicly responded to the latest claims released by Okonkwo. Both Obi and the party have previously denied wrongdoing and challenged the allegations through legal channels.
