(Kenneth Okonkwo Photo Credit: Premuim Times)
Nollywood actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has alleged that the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, and other party leaders in the South-East collected bribes from aspirants during the party's recent primary elections.
Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the allegation during an interview that circulated on social media. He claimed that a House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra State sent him a distress message exposing alleged fraud surrounding the outcome of the primaries.
He identified the alleged whistleblower as one Obunike Ohaegbu, who sought to represent the Nnewi North and Nnewi South Federal Constituency in Anambra State on the NDC platform.
According to Okonkwo, aspirants were initially told that after paying for expression of interest forms, no further fees would be required until a candidate was nominated. He alleged, however, that Peter Obi and NDC leaders in the South-East subsequently demanded payments of ₦10 million from House of Representatives aspirants and ₦20 million from Senate aspirants as a condition for securing candidacy.
He further alleged that even after aspirants made these payments believing they were the confirmed candidates, they were directed to proceed with primaries, during which Obi was allegedly offsite writing out the names of preferred candidates.
"The aspirant sent me the receipt of the money," Okonkwo claimed, adding that anyone voting for Peter Obi and the NDC in 2027 "is voting for criminality."
He contrasted the process with that of the NNPP, alleging that its leader Rabiu Kwankwaso ensured each constituency produced a single candidate to prevent aspirants from being defrauded.