Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Kenneth Okonkwo has never been one to mince words, but his latest allegation may be his most explosive yet. The spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has declared that the ruling All Progressives Congress deliberately created the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political contraption to lure Peter Obi away from the opposition coalition, describing Obi as a man who "likes free things" and claiming he is now trapped in a party that serves the interests of President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo made the allegation on Sunday, September 27, 2026, during an interview on TVC News' Politics programme, where he discussed the state of the opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The interview followed months of political realignments that have reshaped the opposition landscape, culminating in the emergence of separate presidential tickets from what was once a unified coalition. Okonkwo's remarks were blunt and unsparing. "APC, give it to them. They formed a contraption called NDC and used it to lure Peter Obi, who likes free things," he said.
The ADC spokesman did not stop there. He invoked a Lagos street expression to drive his point home. "You know, in Lagos, there's a free thing purge belle. So they used it to lure Peter Obi out of ADC," he said, using a colloquialism that translates roughly to "free things can cause stomach upset" or, more broadly, that things obtained for free often come with hidden costs. The phrase was a stinging dismissal of Obi's political choices, suggesting that the former Anambra State governor was seduced by an offer that appeared cost-free but was, in reality, a trap.
Okonkwo's central argument is that the opposition had a genuine opportunity to unite and defeat Tinubu in 2027, but the APC intervened to fracture that unity by creating the NDC and drawing Obi into it. "So they announced Tinubu as president. And I told the opposition, if you're serious in taking this man out, you have to be united," Okonkwo recalled. "And they got united. And you know what? APC. Give it to them. They formed a contraption called NDC". He framed the NDC's emergence as a deliberate strategy to weaken the coalition that had coalesced around the ADC, arguing that the APC understood that a united opposition posed the greatest threat to Tinubu's re-election.
The political context of Okonkwo's allegation is as complex as it is consequential. In the wake of the 2023 general election, opposition parties began discussions on forming a united front to challenge the ruling APC in 2027. The ADC emerged as the vehicle for that coalition, and on July 2, 2026, opposition figures including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and others gathered to endorse the platform. Okonkwo said the ADC opened its presidential primary to all interested aspirants, and Atiku eventually emerged as the candidate. However, in the months that followed, both Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso left the ADC for the NDC, where Obi became the presidential candidate and Kwankwaso his running mate. The ADC subsequently elected Atiku as its standard-bearer, with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Okonkwo's allegation that the APC was behind the NDC's formation is not new. In June 2026, he claimed that the NDC was owned by President Tinubu and was created to lure Obi. What is new is the vehemence of his language and his direct accusation that Obi was manipulated into a political trap. "Obi left for the NDC, where he has now entered a trap because they used the NDC to lure him away," Okonkwo said during a Channels Television interview on Thursday. He also claimed that the NDC came into existence "on opposition on December 10 through a court order" and described it as "a political association and not a party" based on a court judgment.
The most damaging aspect of Okonkwo's allegation, however, is his characterisation of the NDC and everyone in it. "The only thing I'll tell you is that whoever is in NDC is a suspect. As a surrogate of APC. Because there was no reason for any of them to have left ADC for NDC at the closing time of nomination," he declared. This is a sweeping indictment not just of the party's leadership but of its entire membership, including Obi, whom he accused of abandoning the coalition for personal gain. When the TVC presenter asked whether his position meant that prominent opposition politicians who joined the NDC were working for the ruling party, Okonkwo did not back down. He said members of the party should be viewed with suspicion.
Okonkwo also dismissed the suggestion that Obi's departure had weakened the ADC coalition, arguing that the former governor's decision had instead damaged his own political standing. "If you left the coalition, there is only one choice that you have. Come back to the coalition," he said. He maintained that the ADC remained a coalition and expressed confidence that more opposition politicians would join before the election. "ADC is not going it alone. ADC is the product of coalition. We have coalesced. And the people that are in ADC. Will defeat Tinubu," he said.
The NDC has not yet issued an official response to Okonkwo's latest allegations. The party's legal arm, the Nigerian Democratic Congress Legal Advocates for Ethics and Integrity, had previously demanded that Okonkwo retract his defamatory comments against Obi, describing his allegations as "false". There is no indication that Okonkwo has complied with that demand, and his latest interview suggests he has no intention of softening his position.
Okonkwo's intervention is significant for several reasons. First, it confirms that the opposition remains deeply fractured despite repeated calls for unity. The emergence of separate presidential tickets from the ADC and the NDC means that the anti-Tinubu vote, which was already divided in 2023, risks being split again in 2027. Second, it raises serious questions about the role of the ruling party in shaping the opposition's internal dynamics. If Okonkwo's allegation is true, it would represent a sophisticated and cynical political manoeuvre by the APC to ensure that no single opposition candidate can mount a credible challenge to Tinubu. Third, it exposes the personal and political rivalries that continue to define Nigeria's opposition politics, with Obi and Atiku, once allies in the coalition, now leading separate campaigns.
For Obi, the allegation is a direct attack on his political judgment and his integrity. Being described as someone who "likes free things" is a characterisation that his opponents will seize upon, and being accused of walking into a trap suggests a naivety that is at odds with his image as a seasoned political operator. For Okonkwo, the risk is that his allegations will be dismissed as the bitter musings of a man who has aligned himself with Atiku and is lashing out at those who chose a different path. The truth, as is often the case in Nigerian politics, may never be fully established. What is clear is that the 2027 election is shaping up to be a fiercely contested battle, and the opposition's inability to unite remains its greatest weakness. As Okonkwo himself warned, "It is in darkness that evil is most free". Whether the opposition can find the light before it is too late remains the defining question of the coming campaign.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments