Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has admitted he was misled when he previously defended former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi against claims that his administration left behind debts and financial obligations.
Okonkwo, who served as Obi’s spokesman during the 2023 presidential campaign, made the disclosure on TVC’s Sunday Politics programme. He said he could no longer stand by his earlier claims following fresh disclosures by the Anambra State Government. During the 2023 campaign, Okonkwo had told Nigerians that Obi left no debt, unpaid salaries, pensions, or gratuities when he vacated office.
“I’m not a man that stands on my own misunderstanding. When I see the facts, I agree,” Okonkwo said, explaining that the state government had since claimed the Obi administration obtained eight loans and owed workers at the state water corporation salaries and arrears.
The controversy stems from a dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state’s debt profile. The government claims Obi left $123.77 million in debt when he left office, a figure Obi has rejected, maintaining he left N2.1 billion in an ecological fund.
Okonkwo, now spokesman for Atiku Abubakar’s ADC presidential campaign for 2027, said his approach ahead of the next election would involve scrutinising claims rather than simply defending political allies.