Peter Obi betrayed me – Kenneth Okonkwo

 

Nollywood actor and former Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused Peter Obi of betrayal amid the party’s ongoing leadership crisis

In a trending interview with Symfoni, Okonkwo — who officially resigned from the Labour Party in February 2025 — claimed Obi ignored his advice and aligned himself with the embattled Julius Abure-led faction, a move he described as deeply personal.

“Any politician that knows what he’s doing cannot be betrayed by another. If there is anybody that betrayed the other, I can say it emphatically that Peter Obi betrayed me,” Okonkwo declared.

According to him, Obi was misled by party officials who falsely claimed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had recognized their faction. Despite repeated warnings, Okonkwo said Obi chose to support the group.

“The Abure-led LP members lied to Obi that INEC had accepted them, and Obi surreptitiously went back to them,” he said. “But I told him: even if INEC accepts them, that doesn’t make them democratic. If you align with them, they will ruin your political career and everything you’ve said about integrity will be destroyed.”

Okonkwo said he made several private attempts to steer Obi away from the faction, describing them as “undemocratic” and “agents of the government.” He also warned Obi that rejoining them would not only harm his credibility but also compromise the party’s core principles.

“I told him that if he went back to them, I wouldn’t join him,” Okonkwo said. “I informed everyone in the inner circle that I would not be part of it, and I stood by my word.”

He further revealed that after Obi’s visit to the Abure-led faction’s office, members of the group sent him a video of the endorsement to mock him.

“Within 72 hours, Obi went to their office and publicly endorsed them. One of the faction leaders even sent me the video to ridicule me,” Okonkwo recalled.

He added that only after INEC later dissociated itself from Abure did Obi begin to present himself as neutral. “I told him he couldn’t sit on the fence—something needed to be done,” Okonkwo said.