Kenneth Okonkwo on Peter Obi: the former campaigner says he was misled about Obi’s debt record in Anambra State.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on TVC News. The actor and politician campaigned strongly for Obi in 2023, so his change of position drew quick attention.
Okonkwo began by describing how firmly he once defended Obi. According to him, he told Nigerians that Obi owed no debt, no salary, no gratuity and no pension. He said he staked his reputation on that claim, and he asked whether he could still repeat it today.
He then recalled a separate episode. At one point, he said, people discovered that President Bola Tinubu’s son wore a watch worth up to 135 million. Okonkwo went on television and declared that nobody from Obi’s family could ever wear such a thing while people die in poverty. Now he questions whether he can still say so.
Kenneth Okonkwo on Peter Obi: why he changed his mind
The presenter pressed Okonkwo on who misled him, but he did not name anyone. Instead, he stressed that he changes his view when the facts change. “I’m not a man that stands on my own misunderstanding,” he said. Moreover, he described himself as a very passionate person who believes fully in whatever he supports.
Okonkwo then cited what he called the facts. First, the Anambra State Government says Obi borrowed eight loans. Second, the government says Obi owed workers at the state water corporation their salaries and arrears. Consequently, Okonkwo said, he cannot repeat what he said about Obi in 2023, because he now has more information.
The presenter reminded him that he once travelled across the country to campaign for Obi. Okonkwo accepted that history, but he explained how his role will shift. In 2023, he said, he campaigned for Obi in what he called examination-in-chief. In 2027, however, he expects a cross-examination.
His comments matter because Okonkwo spoke as one of the most visible voices in Obi’s earlier campaign. As a result, critics of Obi will likely seize on the reversal, while supporters may question the timing. Both sides have yet to settle the underlying dispute over Anambra’s finances, and the claims about loans and arrears remain allegations by the state government.
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