Actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has accused former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi of betraying him, while praising former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for recognising his potential despite years of public criticism.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, just a day after he was announced as the spokesperson for Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The former Labour Party spokesperson said he ended his political relationship with Obi in 2024 after concluding that the former Anambra governor lacked the decisiveness required to lead Nigeria.
“I’ve seen in him certain qualities that make him unfit to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I made it public after I had finished my job with him. He was the one who betrayed me,” Okonkwo said.
Contrasting Obi with Atiku, Okonkwo said the former vice president overlooked his previous criticisms because he believed he had something meaningful to contribute to national development.
According to him, Atiku valued competence above personal grievances.
“Atiku Abubakar said, ‘I am looking at this young man, I am seeing the value in him and his tenacity to bring about a great Nigeria. If I have the opportunity, I will bring him in to bring that value to Nigeria,'” Okonkwo stated.
He further described Atiku as a leader known for identifying and nurturing talent, citing personalities such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Charles Soludo and Nasir El-Rufai as examples of individuals whose abilities Atiku recognised early.
Okonkwo’s comments come against the backdrop of an ongoing legal dispute between him and Obi. The actor had previously alleged that Obi and others collected bribes from House of Representatives aspirants—claims the former presidential candidate strongly denied.
Through his lawyers, Obi demanded a public apology, retraction and ₦5 billion in damages, describing the allegations as false and defamatory. After Okonkwo failed to comply within the stipulated period, Obi filed a defamation suit at the Anambra State High Court in Onitsha in June 2026.
Reacting to the lawsuit, Okonkwo described it as unnecessary and politically motivated, insisting that he had not defamed Obi.
“There is no defamation at all. I have documentary evidence, and at the appropriate time everybody will answer for their actions,” he said.
Okonkwo served as one of Obi’s spokespersons during the 2023 presidential campaign. The two later left the Labour Party for the ADC before Obi eventually exited the coalition to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
