Peter Obi Betrayed Me Kenneth Okonkwo Alleges in Explosive Interview
Veteran Nollywood actor and former spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused former presidential candidate Peter Obi of betrayal, following a controversial realignment within the party’s embattled leadership.
In a viral interview released by Symfoni, Okonkwo, who officially exited the Labour Party in February 2025, said Obi reneged on his public stance for transparency and democratic values by returning to support the Julius Abure-led faction of the party despite private warnings against such a move.
“If there is anybody that betrayed the other,” Okonkwo stated, “I can say it emphatically that Peter Obi betrayed me.”
According to Okonkwo, Obi was misled by certain Labour Party executives who claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had officially recognised the Abure-led faction. He said he privately urged Obi to distance himself from what he described as “undemocratic” elements within the party.
“I told him: ‘Sir, you have made a public statement on integrity, and even if INEC has accepted them, that is not a criterion for you to go back and start dealing with them. If you go back to them, they will destroy your political career, and everything you’ve stood for in the public eye will collapse.’”
Despite his advice, Obi reportedly returned to the Abure faction within 72 hours and publicly endorsed them—an action Okonkwo claims left him humiliated and mocked by the very people he had warned Obi about.
“While Obi was in Abure’s office, one of their leaders sent me the video to mock me, saying: ‘Look, the person you were fighting for has come back to us,’” Okonkwo recounted.
He also alleged that Obi’s attempt to later assume a “neutral” stance came only after INEC distanced itself from the Abure-led leadership, which has been under fire for alleged financial mismanagement and anti-democratic practices—accusations that Okonkwo believes severely undermine the party’s reformist credentials.
The Labour Party has been locked in a prolonged leadership crisis, with multiple factions claiming authority over the party’s national structure. The Abure camp, in particular, has faced backlash for what critics describe as a hijacking of party ideology and operations.
Okonkwo’s decision to leave the party earlier this year stemmed directly from these internal conflicts. Once a strong advocate of Obi’s political ideology, Okonkwo now appears disillusioned with the direction the former presidential hopeful is taking.
“I told everyone in our inner circle: if Obi goes back to Abure, I will not follow. I do not go back on my words.”
The revelations have sparked fresh controversy within political circles, with many questioning the future of Labour Party unity and Obi’s credibility among reform-minded supporters.
As the party continues to grapple with internal fractures, Okonkwo’s outburst may further deepen the crisis challenging not only the moral standing of its leadership but also the movement it claims to represent.
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Peter Obi Betrayed Me Kenneth Okonkwo Alleges in Explosive Interview