Kenneth Okonkwo, a Nollywood actor turned politician, has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi and some party leaders in the South-East of collecting bribes during the party’s recent primary elections.
Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was reported to have made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television.
He had said he received a “SOS message” from a House of Representatives aspirant in Anambra State alleging irregularities and bribery in the conduct of the NDC primaries.
The former Labour Party chieftain claimed that “whoever votes for Obi and the NDC in 2027 is voting criminality.
Okonkwo named the alleged whistle-blower as Obunike Ohaegbu who, according to him, sought to contest for the Nnewi North and Nnewi South Federal Constituency seat in Anambra State on the platform of the NDC.
He alleged that the aspirant complained that the candidates were duped in the process and made to pay money after they were initially told that only expression of interest forms were needed at the first stage.
The aspirants had said aspirants were assured that nomination fees would only be paid after candidates emerged, according to Okonkwo.
Okonkwo said, “The NDC aspirant sent SOS to me and said that Peter Obi is now the head of the criminality that they were scammed in NDC.
He said Kwankwaso went to his people and made sure that every constituency produced one candidate so that they are not scammed, but Peter Obi told them that all the aspirants should go into the field, and the aspirants were told that they were going to have primaries.
₦10,000,000, ₦20,000,000 Allegation of Bribery
Okonkwo also claimed that the aspirants in the South-East were later asked to pay more before the primaries.
He said House of Representatives aspirants were allegedly asked to pay ₦10m while senatorial aspirants were asked to pay ₦20m.
He said: “Remember that Dickson said once you pay for your expression of interest form, you are not going to pay any money, when you are the one who is nominated, that is when you will pay nomination fees.”
“They all ran into it then Peter Obi and leaders of the South-East, NDC caucus, went and told them that after paying for the expression of interest forms, you must pay ₦10 million bribe for Reps and Senate, ₦20 million.
They all paid, thinking they were the candidates. Then they were told to go for the primary.
Names Supposedly Written In Hotel
The ADC chieftain also alleged that while aspirants were taking part in the primaries, names of candidates were already written elsewhere.
He said Obi was in a hotel at the time when names of preferred candidates were being put together.
“Whilst they were doing the primaries, Peter Obi was in the John Wood hotel writing names of candidates,” Okonkwo alleged.
“The aspirant forwarded me the receipt of the money.”
Okonkwo did not say in the interview if the alleged receipts had been submitted to any law enforcement agency or electoral body.
At the time of filing this report Obi and the leadership of the NDC had not responded to the allegations.
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