MONDAY BACK PAGE STRAIGHT TALK BY OBINNA F. NWACHUKWU
…..Dr. This is okay with me but you may to remove on para 16 line 7 , the NEW …. It should read Nigeria Democratic Party ( NDC) and Not New Nigeria Democratic Party. NNDC
Every election year, the African Democratic Congress (ADC)presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi makes new friends and new enemies. Sometimes, yesterday’s friends become today’s enemies. And that perhaps explains the reason for the recent attacks on Obi by the duo of Kenneth Okonkwo and Adams Oshiomhole, who were previously his close friends.
In a desperate attempt to discredit Peter Obi’s candidacy, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, publicly went on Channels TV last week to falsely claim that it was during Peter Obi’s tenure as the governor of Anambra State that the dreaded Bakassi Boys operated and became unruly.
Well, it is important that we set the records straight for those who may be tempted to buy such cheap narratives.
The Bakassi Boys never operated during Peter Obi’s time. As a matter of fact, one of the things Peter Obi did when he assumed office in 2006 was to totally outlaw any form of Bakassi operation in Anambra State, regardless of the guise under which it was being carried out.
It was Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju who introduced the Bakassi Boys, and their operations spanned through his administration and continued until the time of Chris Ngige.
Secondly, Oshiomhole also claimed that during his tenure as Governor, which ran concurrently with that of Peter Obi, Edo State was peaceful. That, too, is far from the truth.
Edo State was never peaceful during Oshiomhole’s time as state governor. Insecurity, kidnappings, and cult-related violences were some of the defining features of that era.
There is overwhelming evidence that speaks loudly to this reality. Was it not the same Edo State where Chief Mike Ozekhome was kidnapped along the Auchi Road in 2013? An incident that triggered massive protests by lawyers over the alarming rate of kidnappings in the state.
How can Oshiomhole forget so soon? How can Oshiomhole comfortably claim that Peter Obi was Governor of Anambra State and did nothing about insecurity when he himself repeatedly complained that the Federal Government controlled security apparatuses to the disadvantage of state governors?
How can Oshiomhole forget that Edo State became so unsafe during his tenure that his own Principal Private Secretary, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, was murdered inside his residence at 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, on the 4th of May, 2012?
These are not stories. These are documented events. If I were Oshiomhole, I would not use insecurity as a yardstick to discredit anybody because Oshiomhole simply does not have the moral standing to do so.
Today, Oshiomhole is one of the closest allies of President Tinubu. He was also a close ally of Buhari. Under both administrations, in which Oshiomhole has remained an influential political figure, insecurity has grown significantly worse across the country. But let’s leave that conversation for another day.
Today, if you visit Edo North, the senatorial district Oshiomhole represents, you will find that it is arguably the most insecure zone in Edo State. Yet, Oshiomhole has not done anything remarkable to change that reality.
So, what right, what locus, does Oshiomhole have to criticize anyone over insecurity?
On his part, former Nollywood actor and key role player in the infamous drama “LIVING IN BONDAGE” Kenneth Okonkwo recently said he is no longer supporting Atiku because Atiku didn’t choose someone from the South East.
Okonkwo, a former Labour Party spokesperson, is currently locked in a bitter dispute with Peter Obi. The rift erupted after Okonkwo alleged on television that Obi and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) orchestrated a scam to defraud an aspirant, prompting Obi to issue a ₦5 billion defamation lawsuit. Okonkwo alleged that an aspirant (names withheld) paid ₦10 million for a ticket under the NDC (New Nigeria Democratic Congress,) but that the process was allegedly part of a scam orchestrated by Peter Obi. Furthermore, Okonkwo also publicly accused Obi of political betrayal. He claimed Obi ignored his advice regarding party factions, stating that Obi went back on his promises and aligned with a factional group, thereby jeopardizing his own integrity. However, Peter Obi, through his lawyers, demanded an apology and ₦5 billion in damages, citing defamation. In response, Okonkwo’s lawyers accused Obi’s camp of data breach for allegedly leaking Okonkwo’s personal phone number on social media, leading to threats and harassment. Despite receiving a pre-action notice from Obi’s legal team, Okonkwo refused to retract his statements. His legal team issued a reply demanding Obi to drop the lawsuit, stating the claims were based on information provided directly by an aggrieved aspirant.
Reacting to the issue, Dr. Katchi Ononuju, a respected politician and public affairs analyst, has launched a scathing attack on Okonkwo, alleging that money and a request for house rent support were at the centre of the fallout between the actor-turned-politician and members of the Obidient movement.
Ononuju argued that the dispute between Okonkwo and members of the movement was driven by financial expectations.
“What brought trouble between him and us? Penny. Money to rent a house,” he said.
Speaking during an interview, Ononuju claimed that Okonkwo expected more support from former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi before eventually aligning with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
According to him, Obi had advised Okonkwo to start modestly when seeking accommodation support.
“He said he wanted to rent a duplex, and Peter told him to start with a flat,” Ononuju said.
He further alleged that after meeting Atiku, Okonkwo received the same type of assistance he had sought earlier.
“He wanted money for a flat. When he met Atiku, he talked to Atiku. Atiku was sweet, nice, and told him he would do it. Atiku still gave him money for a flat,” he stated.
In a counter-attack, Okonkwo dismissed Ononuju’s claims as fabrications and nonsensical lies, alleging that Ononuju suffers from what he described as “a degenerative mental condition causing him to invent events”
With the above statement which Okonkwo had denied, I hope Kenneth will move on in peace without taking up Wike’s role in 2023, because that would be funny to watch.
The same way Kenneth is complaining that he was not informed by Atiku before choosing Rotimi Amaechi was exactly the same way Wike complained in 2022 when former Delta state Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was chosen.
The only difference between Kenneth Okonkwo and Nyesom Wike is that while Wike had a political capacity that stretched far beyond media interviews, Kenneth Okonkwo’s electoral currency, at the moment, seems to end at TV Stations.
As of 2023, Nyesom Wike was not just a governor. He was a political leader with structures, influence, and loyalists spread across different states. So, he had the capacity to make political moves that commanded national attention to the detriment of his adversaries.
Kenneth Okonkwo, on the other hand, may not be able to boast of an influence that covers even the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency where he hails from.
If Kenneth Okonkwo truly possesses the political capacity to work against anyone in the coming elections, Atiku and Peter Obi would have felt it by now, because as things stand today, Kenneth is party-less and has no presidential candidate. That is why the real question is not whether he is leaving Atiku or not but where will Kenneth Okonkwo pitch his political tent ahead of 2027 and who will he work for?
If Kenneth Okonkwo truly possessed the political capacity to work against anyone in the coming elections, Atiku and Peter Obi would have felt it by now. Because as things stand today, Kenneth is party-less and has no presidential candidate