Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has firmly stated that he will not retract his allegations regarding the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket controversy. This comes despite demands from Peter Obi for a retraction and public apology.
Okonkwo Refuses to Back Down
Okonkwo turned down Obi's demand for a retraction and apology over claims related to the NDC primary elections. The actor-turned-politician said he would not withdraw the comments he made during a recent interview on Channels Television. He alleged that some NDC aspirants were asked to pay money to secure party tickets for the 2027 general elections.
According to Okonkwo, these comments were based on complaints brought to him by some NDC aspirants and other sources. He stated this while reacting to Obi's pre-action notice, where Obi demanded a retraction, public apology, and N5 billion in damages.
Legal Response and Allegations
Okonkwo, through his solicitors at Supreme God Chambers, denied defaming Obi in a statement issued on his X handle @realkenokonkwo on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. He argued that an NDC House of Representatives aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu from Anambra state, and other party members provided him with the information.
The lawyers claimed Ohaegbu approached Okonkwo to help recover N10 million he allegedly paid during the NDC nomination process. According to Ohaegbu, he had secured the ticket after making the payment but was later directed to participate in direct primaries. The response further alleged that Ohaegbu held Obi responsible for the development and encouraged Okonkwo to publicise the matter.
Our Client stands by the truth of all he declared on Channels TV. The whole idea of his speaking on Channels TV, which information he received from the aspirants, NDC, and other Nigerians, is to expose transactional politics, ticket racketeering, extortion of aspirants, misleading representations, false pretense, undue influence and coercive pressure.
Youths Reject NDC Primary Results
Recall that youths of Nnewi Federal Constituency sent a strong message to Peter Obi and the NDC, rejecting the party's primary election results. The youths said results flying on social media, purportedly issued by the party, do not represent what happened in the field. The group tasked Obi and the NDC to retrieve the fake results and issue what represents the people's mandate.
Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku, ADC
Meanwhile, Okonkwo withdrew his support for Atiku Abubakar and the ADC ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Okonkwo criticised ADC's vice presidential pick from the South-South, calling it marginalisation of the South-East. He insisted on representation for the South-East, refusing to campaign for a non-South-East ticket in the 2027 presidential election.
