TDFresh revelations have emerged explaining the roots of Nollywood actor‑turned‑politician Kenneth Okonkwo’s sustained attacks on Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a recent interview, political analyst Katch Ononuju disclosed that Okonkwo’s fallout with Obi was not ideological but stemmed from personal financial grievances.
The House Rent Dispute
According to Ononuju, Okonkwo approached Peter Obi during his time as a spokesperson for the campaign, seeking financial assistance to rent a duplex.
Obi, known for his frugal and pragmatic approach, reportedly advised him to start with a modest flat instead.
Dissatisfied, Okonkwo later turned to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who provided him with funds for a flat.
Ononuju explained:
“What brought trouble between him and us? Penny. Money to rent a house.
“Kenneth wanted more than Peter was willing to give.
“Atiku gave him the same flat money Peter suggested.”
This revelation paints Okonkwo’s departure from Obi’s camp as driven by unmet personal expectations rather than political principle.
From Nollywood to Politics
Ononuju went further, describing Okonkwo as a “failed entertainment entrepreneur” who abandoned the movie industry after struggling to sustain success.
He argued that Okonkwo entered politics without the intellectual depth or financial independence required to thrive.
Ononuju stated:
“Kenneth thinks politics is like the movie industry where they give him a script and money to act.
“Politics is about intellectual understanding of equity and national issues. He lacks depth.”
The analyst accused Okonkwo of opportunism, suggesting that his attacks on Obi are motivated by hunger and desperation rather than conviction.
Ethnic and Political Contradictions
Ononuju also criticized Okonkwo’s decision to align with Atiku Abubakar, a Fulani politician, while publicly disparaging Obi, the most prominent Igbo candidate.
He described this as a betrayal of regional interests and a contradiction of representative democracy.
“How can an Igbo man abandon his frontline candidate to work for a Fulani man, while abusing his own?
“That is not just politics; it is hunger,” he said.
Implications for NDC and Nigerian Politics
The revelations expose the personal undercurrents behind Okonkwo’s public criticisms of Obi and the NDC.
What has been presented as principled opposition may in fact be rooted in financial disputes and personal disappointments.
For the NDC, the episode underscores the challenges of managing spokespersons and allies whose loyalty may be compromised by personal gain.
For Obi, it highlights the risks of maintaining a frugal, principled stance in a political environment often driven by patronage.
Kenneth Okonkwo’s attacks on Peter Obi are now being seen in a new light — less about ideology and more about unmet financial expectations.
As Ononuju bluntly put it, “This is a hungry man… onye aguru.”
The controversy raises pressing questions about the integrity of political actors in Nigeria and the extent to which personal grievances can shape national narratives.
Transcript
Here is the transcription of the video:
Katch Ononuju: Me and you last year started talks about Kenneth Okonkwo. And I told you, as leader of the spokespersons of Peter Obi, what happened.
So the fact that he had an issue, a private issue, and Peter tried to help. He was expecting more from Peter.
He left and went to Atiku. Atiku helped him. Fine. The same thing Peter suggested was exactly what Atiku gave him. Now, for you to work with Peter…
Precious: Oh! So, you know say you dey speak in parables. You go good make we talk in clear terms.
So you been talk say, na wetin you tell us last year, say he ask Peter Obi for house rent money, say na duplex he wan rent.
And Peter Obi no give am, say make dem start with flat. Ehe, so you mean say na the same flat?
Katch Ononuju: He wanted money for a flat. When he met Atiku, he talked to Atiku. Atiku was sweet, nice, told him he would do.
Atiku still gave him money for a flat. So, because why? Yeah, listen. And that’s just so, for you really to consider what is it that drives Kenneth.
What brought trouble between him and us? Penny. Money to rent a house.
I don’t tell Peter to pay me for house rent. Other people who work in the movement came in.
People like Kenneth, because he is a failure in the movie, in the entertainment industry. He failed. That’s why he came to meet us in the political space.
Kenneth Okonkwo is a failed entertainment entrepreneur. He was a… Kenneth is a pioneer of the Nigerian film industry, the local film industry.
But some of the people who got there, got successful. You can see someone like… who will I call now that has made it big?
Everybody that I have in mind have made, been successful. Those who didn’t make it very big, played very, very gently.
That’s how it is. Kenneth panicked, abandoned the entertainment industry, came to meet us in the political space.
But Kenneth lacks depth. He doesn’t have it. Nigeria runs a representative democracy. Kenneth from Enugu State.
How can you come, an Igbo man, you want to work for a Fulani man, abusing the Igbo frontline candidate?
What kind of human being are you? He doesn’t understand. This is a hungry man. He is what Igbos call “onye aguru… ndi na-abu nri“.
That’s the problem. You don’t come and start begging for house rent. Now he beg for… That is what got us into this mess.
If you must come and do politics, better have a secondary source of income.
If you come and jump into the politics and you have no supporting base that sustains you, you will become as challenged as Kenneth Okonkwo is.
This is the problem we have. Who told you I don’t have problem?
I have five children, and I pay university fees, and I’ve trained them all through university, and I do all these things.
Yet, every day I’m on national television, not losing my conscience, knowing very well, like for example, during this period of national crisis when we are occupied by the United States Army.
It’s a matter of narratives, as I told you. Everybody can tell lies. Now we are in politics at a time when our country is challenged.
You want to become like Kenneth Okonkwo? You know Kenneth thinks it’s like movie industry where they pay him money, give him a script and he goes to act? No!
Politics is based on an intellectual understanding of the discussions within the public space. And the discussion right now, when Kenneth came to meet us, is about equity. Equity!”
