Nollywood actor and former spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has explained the reasons behind his decision to end his political association with the party's 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Speaking during a recent interview, Okonkwo said he publicly withdrew his support for the former Anambra State governor in July 2024 after concluding that Obi lacked the decisiveness required to lead Nigeria.
The actor-turned-politician said his decision followed his personal experience of working closely with Obi during the 2023 presidential campaign, adding that he could no longer defend or promote someone he no longer believed possessed the qualities needed for the nation's highest office.
According to Okonkwo, his decision to distance himself from Obi was made public, after which he resumed his role as a political commentator and public affairs analyst.
He also contrasted his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, noting that despite his previous criticisms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Atiku never responded with legal action.
Okonkwo further questioned Obi's decision to institute a defamation suit against him, describing the case as unnecessary and without merit.
"As a public affairs analyst that I have been since 2009, I simply continued with my job. I made it public that I was no longer speaking for him because he’s not decisive. I’ve seen certain qualities in him that would make him unfit to be President. This is somebody I worked for and did everything for. Yet, after I left, he went to court with a frivolous defamation suit. Who is now the betrayer? Who is the disloyal?” he stated.
Okonkwo's latest remarks add another chapter to the public fallout between the former Labour Party campaign spokesman and Peter Obi, whose political relationship deteriorated after the 2023 general election. His comments are expected to generate fresh debate within Nigeria's political landscape as discussions over opposition politics and future electoral alliances continue.