Next Year, Obi Faces Possible Backlash in South-East, Says Kenneth Okonkwo

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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would struggle to win support across the South-East ahead of the 2027 elections, describing the “Obi or nothing” slogan associated with some of his supporters as “an abomination in Igbo land.”

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Okonkwo, who spoke on Channels Television on Thursday, argued that the slogan contradicted the Igbo principle of collective progress, which he described as “Somadina.”

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“Have you not heard of the slogan Obi or nothing? First of all, that slogan is an abomination culturally in Igbo land,” he said.

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According to him, “Somadina means that I will not be the only person that will thrive. I will not be the only person that will succeed.”

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The legal practitioner referenced the 1979 elections involving late nationalist Nnamdi Azikiwe and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, saying Igbo political leaders historically embraced alliances rather than exclusionary politics.

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“Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe knew that the votes of Ndi Igbo alone would not make him president,” Okonkwo said, adding that Azikiwe respected Ekwueme’s decision to remain in another party at the time.

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He said the alliances after the election helped the South-East secure key positions, including the vice presidency and the speakership of the House of Representatives, “nine years after the war.”

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“And somebody here is telling me Obi or nothing? That is an abomination in Igbo land,” he added.

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Speaking further on the recent defections of Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Okonkwo accused both politicians of avoiding primary elections.

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“And the reason they went there is because they are scared of participating in primary election,” he said.

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Okonkwo claimed both politicians had initially joined a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027 before leaving the ADC.

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“They said coalition is the best and the only method to send Tinubu packing by their own words. And on their own, without any reason, they left for NDC. Is that not being a con man?” he said.

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When asked by the interviewer whether politicians had the right to change their minds, Okonkwo insisted Obi entered the coalition despite allegedly knowing its internal issues.

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“And you didn’t know that such association is not aligning before you entered and you didn’t have any reason for going except that he wants power,” he said.

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Okonkwo also criticised some of Obi’s supporters, describing them as “toxic followers” and “street urchins,” while admitting he was once among them.

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“I was. Why did I leave?” he said, explaining that he supported Obi in 2023 because he wanted “somebody from the South-East to be president.”

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He said he later became disillusioned after the 2023 presidential election.

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“After winning the election, what happened? He could not secure his own victory,” Okonkwo said.

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The former Obi ally added that he spent “around 240 days” in court and “almost two years campaigning” after believing the election had been won.

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Obi and Kwankwaso formally defected from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress on May 3, 2026, after internal disputes within the ADC as both politicians moved to strengthen opposition coalition talks ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

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