by Olaitan Babatunde
Politics can be brutal, but it becomes even more brutal when former allies become critics. That was the case when actor turned politician Kenneth Okonkwo launched a fierce attack on Peter Obi, describing the former Labour Party presidential candidate as a “political con man.” The remark has generated significant debate, not only because of its harshness, but because it comes from someone who once stood firmly within Obi’s political camp and publicly defended him during and after the 2023 elections.
At the centre of Okonkwo’s criticism is Obi’s decision to leave the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress and align with the Nigeria Democratic Congress. According to Okonkwo, Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso convinced Nigerians that coalition politics was the only path to defeating President Bola Tinubu, only to later abandon that same coalition. He argues that such a move raises questions about consistency and political sincerity. Whether one agrees with Okonkwo or not, his criticism highlights a problem that has haunted Nigeria’s opposition for years. The inability to remain united long enough to challenge a well established ruling party.
What makes this story interesting is that it is bigger than Peter Obi and Kenneth Okonkwo. It speaks to a deeper frustration among opposition supporters who believe personal ambition often defeats collective strategy. In Nigeria, opposition leaders frequently agree on one thing: the ruling party must be challenged. The disagreement usually begins when the conversation turns to who should lead that challenge. The result is a familiar cycle of alliances, defections, accusations, and political divorces that would make some reality television producers jealous.
Yet there is another side to the debate. Obi’s supporters argue that political parties are merely vehicles and that politicians have a right to seek platforms they believe better align with their vision. They point to Obi’s continued popularity among young voters and his ability to maintain political relevance even outside traditional party structures. Recent developments show that Obi has already secured the presidential ticket of the NDC ahead of the 2027 elections, signalling that his political ambitions remain very much alive despite the criticism.
The real issue for Nigerians is not whether Kenneth Okonkwo is right or wrong. The bigger concern is whether opposition politics is becoming more focused on internal battles than on presenting solutions to insecurity, unemployment, inflation, and governance challenges. Every week spent fighting former allies is a week not spent convincing voters. Every headline about political quarrels distracts from discussions about policy. As 2027 approaches, Nigerians may be less interested in who called whom a con man and more interested in who can offer a credible roadmap for the country. Until then, the opposition’s greatest challenge may not be defeating the ruling party. It may be defeating its own divisions.
