The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Legal Advocates for Ethics & Integrity (LAGEI) has made a significant and bold demand directed towards prominent lawyer Kenneth Okonkwo, urging him to retract serious allegations that he has leveled against Peter Obi, the party’s chosen candidate for the presidential election in 2027. At a press conference held on Wednesday in the bustling city of Abuja, Maxwell Opara, the convener of the LAGEI, not only called for the retraction but also insisted that Mr. Okonkwo offer a public apology to Mr. Obi for his accusations.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kenneth Okonkwo has been accused of making damaging claims alleging that Mr. Obi solicited a bribe of N10 million from each aspirant vying for a seat in the House of Representatives from the South-East region. These serious allegations purportedly include Okonkwo’s assertion that he possesses documentary evidence of these payments and that Obi took it upon himself to compile the list of candidates for the party while situated in a hotel room.
In a firm response, Mr. Opara challenged Okonkwo to either substantiate these grave claims with credible evidence or retract his statements and publicly apologize to Obi. He emphasized that failure to do so would compel them to take further action, ultimately leading to Mr. Okonkwo facing repercussions from the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) due to his alleged professional misconduct.
Opara condemned Okonkwo’s assertions, which come from a member of the African Democratic Party (ADC), labeling them as “false and unfounded.” He passionately expressed, “The NDC Lawyers Group is constitutionally mandated to safeguard and uphold the integrity, credibility, and esteemed reputation of our party, the NDC, and its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi.” He detailed that the recent barrage of accusations by Okonkwo represents nothing more than a series of attacks, aimed at besmirching the character of their candidate instead of promoting the policies and vision of Okonkwo’s own political allegiance.
Condemning the blatant attempt to undermine Mr. Obi’s reputation, Opara stated, “I find it utterly unacceptable and condemn this pattern of attack in the strongest possible terms.” He called attention to the fact that such unfounded accusations aim to distract the Nigerian populace from engaging in meaningful, issue-based political discourse.
Opara articulated a clear demand from the group: “We call upon Kenneth Okonkwo to immediately withdraw all defamatory and criminal allegations against Mr. Peter Obi and to issue a sincere public apology within a strict timeframe of 48 hours from the release of this statement.” He further cautioned Okonkwo to cease using the Igbo ethnic identity as a dodge for irresponsible political attacks, asserting, “The Igbo people, alongside all Nigerians, deserve to be treated with respect and should not be exploited as a mere shield for political recklessness.”
Opara urged Okonkwo to devote his energy to constructive dialogue about his own political party and its candidate’s vision for the future of Nigeria, rather than obsessively targeting Mr. Peter Obi. He warned that LAGEI, serving as the legal arm of the NDC, will not stand idly by while the integrity of their presidential candidate is tarnished for mere political gain.
“Should Kenneth Okonkwo fail to comply with our demands, we will have no choice but to pursue every legal avenue available to defend the dignity of our party and our candidate,” Opara declared resolutely. He concluded with a powerful message: “Politics must be anchored in ideas, not insults. We have reached a breaking point, and enough is enough.”
Stay tuned for more updates as this political drama unfolds. The stakes are high, and with the 2027 elections on the horizon, every word and action in the political arena carries significant weight!
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