Controversy As Kenneth Okonkwo Denies Viral Video Calling Atiku A Failed Politician, Threat To Nigeria’s Democracy

Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesperson of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council (South-East) during the 2023 general election, has denied a viral video in which he described former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as a failed politician seeking to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

The video, which resurfaced on social media on Wednesday, showed Okonkwo making scathing remarks against Atiku, despite his current political alignment with the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and his recent criticism of Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

In the clip, Okonkwo was heard saying: “Atiku knows he has failed. What he’s trying to do now is to make sure that he destroys our democracy after he has failed. INEC should be implementing Section 97 of the Electoral Act on Atiku because that’s a criminal offence. Trying to profile ethnic and religious groups. He is unfit and he’s a threat to our democracy.”

When contacted by Daily Independent to confirm whether he still stood by the remarks, Okonkwo dismissed the video as fake.

“It is fake news. That is all I am going to say,” he said.

However, findings show that the remarks were reported by TheCable on October 28, 2022, following an interview Okonkwo granted on Channels Television while serving as a spokesperson for the Obi campaign.

During the interview, he accused Atiku of making divisive comments after the PDP candidate’s controversial “north needs a northerner” remark at an Arewa stakeholders’ event in Kaduna.

According to the report, Okonkwo argued that Atiku’s statement amounted to ethnic profiling and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to invoke Section 97 of the Electoral Act against him. He further described the former vice-president as “unfit” and “a threat to our democracy.”

Atiku’s comments had generated widespread reactions at the time, drawing criticism from political opponents and some stakeholders, while the PDP insisted that his remarks were taken out of context.

The resurfacing of the video has sparked debate on social media, particularly in light of Okonkwo’s current political position and support for Atiku, whom he fiercely criticised during the 2023 election campaign.