‘What I Told Peter Obi Before he Joined NDC’ – Kenneth Okonkwo

A prominent figure in the African Democratic Party (ADP), Kenneth Okonkwo, has disclosed that he advised former presidential candidate Peter Obi against joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), warning that such a move could leave him politically marginalized within the party.

Okonkwo made the revelation in a post shared on X on Friday, where he revisited his earlier concerns about Obi’s political future outside the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to the former Nollywood actor and politician, he cautioned Obi that leaving the ADC for the NDC would place him in a position where he would have little influence over the party’s structure and decision-making process.

“I told Obi that if he left ADC, he would become a mobile squatter in NDC,” Okonkwo wrote.

The politician argued that recent remarks attributed to the national leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, appeared to validate the concerns he had raised before Obi’s reported move to the party.

Referencing Dickson’s comments during a recent interview, Okonkwo claimed they reflected an attitude that suggested new entrants into the party would have limited authority or bargaining power.

“The interview by Seriake Dickson, the Supreme Leader of the NDC, over the past two days confirmed my fears,” he stated.

“He told people that if they think registering a party is easy, they should go and register theirs. Sorry, squatters do not have rights and privileges in the landlord’s house.”

Okonkwo further alleged that the political environment within the NDC would require Obi and his supporters to operate under the direction of established party leaders rather than play a leading role in shaping the party’s future.

The outspoken politician also took a swipe at some of Obi’s supporters, claiming that their role within the party would be limited to offering unquestioning loyalty to the party leadership.

His remarks add another layer to the ongoing political debate surrounding opposition realignments and coalition-building efforts ahead of future elections. The comments have already generated reactions among supporters and critics of both politicians, with many weighing in on the implications of party defections and internal power dynamics within emerging political movements.

Neither Peter Obi nor the leadership of the NDC had publicly responded to Okonkwo’s latest comments as of the time of filing this report.