Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has said the Peter Obi he supported during the 2023 presidential election is different from the politician he now sees.
Okonkwo made the remarks while explaining the deterioration of his relationship with Obi following their political split and developments ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said his support for Obi in 2023 was based on the political platform and circumstances that existed at the time, arguing that changing circumstances could lead to a change in political positions.
“I campaigned for him as a member of Labour Party and as the presidential candidate of Labour Party. There was no agreement I should follow him wherever he’s going to because if he’s going to fall into a pit, I do not have any contract to fall into the pit with him,” he said.
Okonkwo said his perception of Obi had changed because, in his view, the political platform, information and circumstances surrounding the former Anambra State governor had also changed.
“So what the person you’re seeing now is completely different from the person I campaigned for, different platform from the information that I have heard, different human being,” he said.
Okonkwo and Obi were political allies during the 2023 presidential election, when Obi contested under the Labour Party. Their political paths later diverged amid opposition coalition developments ahead of 2027.
Okonkwo subsequently became a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress and has criticised Obi’s decision to pursue his 2027 presidential bid outside the ADC coalition. He has also publicly argued that opposition forces should unite behind a single platform.
The former Labour Party spokesman has continued to comment on Obi’s political decisions as both men position themselves for the 2027 election.
