LP Chieftain Calls for Protest Against Peter Obi Over Okonkwo Feud

A former Chairman of the Labour Party in Enugu State, Barr Casmir Agbo, has called on the people of Enugu North Senatorial District to stage a protest against the legal suit filed against actor-turned-lawyer Kenneth Okonkwo by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi. The call comes ahead of Obi’s planned visit to Nsukka to campaign for the NDC’s senatorial candidate, Bishop Oscar Ossai, in the by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026. Okonkwo, a prominent son of Nsukka, is at the center of a heated public dispute with his former political ally, and Agbo’s demand for protest reflects growing tension within the opposition ranks as the by-election approaches.

In a trending social media post, Agbo condemned Obi’s legal suit against Okonkwo, describing it as a case of “prosecuting the same man who toiled for him during the 2023 election.” He expressed outrage that Obi would take legal action against someone who worked tirelessly for his presidential campaign. “If it were to be in the North or West, our demand today would be to let him know that he is prosecuting our son, Barr Kenneth Okonkwo, who toiled for him,” Agbo stated, adding that he expects a massive protest demanding the immediate withdrawal of the suit. He reminded Obi that Nsukka, through the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), trained him, and that “Kenneth popularly known as Andy Okeke has paid his dues.” This sentiment reflects a broader feeling of betrayal among some LP supporters who view Obi’s legal action as an attack on a loyal party member who sacrificed time, resources, and reputation to support Obi’s presidential ambition.

Agbo, who was the state LP chairman during the 2023 general election, made explosive allegations against Obi, claiming that the NDC presidential candidate actively worked against the LP’s gubernatorial candidate, Barr Chijioke Edeoga, in favor of Governor Peter Mbah, who was then the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to Agbo, “What happened in Enugu State during 2023 general elections are very fresh in our minds. We are blaming some of our people and shouting that they worked against Edeoga during that election, but our greatest enemy in that election was Mr Peter Obi.” He claimed that Obi had wanted another candidate from the outset and when the party endorsed Edeoga, “he pitched his tent with PDP in the state.” Agbo further alleged that Obi made everything possible to deny the LP victory in Enugu State. “Peter Obi never campaigned for LP in Enugu State; even to the extent that he stopped me from reading my address at a point by sending Clement Ojukwu to tell me to stop at a certain point at Okpara Square when I was reading about the failure of PDP in the state,” he claimed. “Secondly, he avoided us like a plague whenever we met at a meeting in Enugu,” Agbo added, painting a picture of a candidate who was distant from the party’s state structure and more aligned with the opposition.

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The legal dispute between Obi and Okonkwo began after Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a former spokesperson for Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, made explosive allegations during an interview on Channels Television on June 8, 2026. Okonkwo alleged that Obi and other South East leaders of the NDC demanded bribes from House of Representatives and Senatorial aspirants during the party’s primaries, claiming that aspirants were required to pay N10 million and N20 million for tickets, respectively. The allegations sent shockwaves through the political landscape, given Okonkwo’s close association with Obi during the 2023 campaign and his credibility as a former spokesperson.

In response to Okonkwo’s allegations, Obi, through his lawyer Alex Ejesieme (SAN), issued a pre-action notice demanding that Okonkwo retract the statements, issue a public apology, and pay N5 billion in damages. Obi described the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory, giving Okonkwo a seven-day ultimatum to comply. The demand letter also included Okonkwo’s personal phone number, which was published publicly, a move Okonkwo later described as a data breach and an invasion of privacy. The legal threat has escalated the feud, drawing attention from political observers and party loyalists across the country.

Okonkwo has remained defiant in the face of the legal threats, insisting that he stands by his words. In his formal response dated June 16, 2026, through his lawyer V. I. Uma of Supreme God Chambers, Okonkwo denied defaming Obi and maintained that his comments were based on information received from aggrieved aspirants. He disclosed that one aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu (alias Nwa Miss), had approached him for assistance in recovering N10 million allegedly paid during the nomination process, describing it as a “scam orchestrated by your Client, Mr Peter Obi.” Okonkwo argued that he was within his rights as a lawyer, politician, and public affairs analyst to raise concerns about the complaints, and he challenged Obi to face him in court rather than resorting to legal intimidation.

However, the House of Representatives aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu, who appeared on the same Channels TV program, stated that he never made such statements to Okonkwo. Ohaegbu clarified that “Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million. I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi, in any way, told me to pay N10 million.” He further said he never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery. This contradiction has further complicated the dispute and raised questions about the veracity of Okonkwo’s claims, potentially undermining his credibility in the eyes of the public.

Okonkwo has a history of public disputes with Obi. In July 2024, he resigned from the Labour Party, accusing Obi of lacking the capacity to protect the mandate given to him by Nigerian voters. At the time, Agbo, then LP chairman in Enugu State, dismissed Okonkwo as “an actor” who “has no business in politics,” adding that he was “not known in his local government as a strong LP member.” Agbo suggested that Okonkwo’s resignation was motivated by personal grievances, which may have included frustration with the party’s leadership and internal dynamics. This history suggests a long-standing pattern of friction between the two figures.

Peter Obi has vowed to proceed with the defamation lawsuit against Okonkwo. During an interview on Nevon Media, Obi stated: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future.” Obi added that he is “very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians.” This indicates that the legal battle is likely to continue, further deepening the rift between the former allies and potentially affecting the political landscape in the South East.

The current dispute unfolds against the backdrop of the Enugu North Senatorial by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026. The seat became vacant following the death of Senator Okey Ezea in November 2025. Ezea was a political ally of Obi and a member of the LP. The NDC has fielded Bishop Oscar Ossai Okwudili Elias as its candidate, with Obi expected to lead the campaign in Nsukka. The late Ezea’s support group has backed Ossai, calling on voters to elect a candidate who can continue the late senator’s legacy. However, political analysts suggest that the APC candidate, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, may have the edge in the contest due to the support of Governor Peter Mbah and former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The by-election is expected to be fiercely contested, with Agbo’s call for protest adding a further layer of political drama.

LP Chieftain Calls for Protest Against Peter Obi Over Okonkwo Feud

NDC Introduces Anti-Defection Pact for Obi, Kwankwaso, Others

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled a stringent anti-defection policy requiring all its candidates seeking elective offices to sign indemnity and affidavit forms pledging to relinquish their seats if they defect from the party after winning elections. The policy, announced on Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, is aimed at strengthening internal discipline and preventing the wave of post-election defections that has weakened several opposition parties in recent years. Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, NDC National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, explained that the decision was informed by years of observing politicians secure electoral victories on party platforms only to abandon them for personal or political convenience, and he specifically pointed to the experience of the Labour Party after the 2023 elections as a cautionary tale. Cleopas stated, “A very typical example that we have all seen in the last three years is the Labour Party, where so many individuals won elections under the platform of the party. Now, we are in another election cycle. Go and check their history. How many of the people who won elections under the Labour Party and were inaugurated are still members of the party? If all of them had remained, you and I can imagine how the Labour Party could have been today, even if they had not won the presidency.”

Cleopas stressed that the NDC was founded to build an enduring political institution rather than serve as a temporary vehicle for personal ambitions, noting that the party had observed a trend where elected public office holders became detached from the political structures that produced them after winning elections. He stated, “One thing we have come to observe is that in the present polity, when people contest elections and win under political parties, they become gods. And in between the time that they ought to have, they will just use one minor excuse to dump the platform and perhaps go into the ruling party.” The party chairman emphasized that while membership of the NDC is voluntary, anyone seeking to contest elections on its platform must agree to abide by its rules, stating that candidates would be required to sign affidavit and indemnity forms before receiving the party’s ticket, making it clear that if they choose to leave the party after winning, they must also surrender the mandate obtained through the party’s platform. He declared, “If you win, the mandate is owned by the party. If you otherwise choose to leave, go the same way you came and leave what you picked from here.” Cleopas also referenced provisions of the NDC Constitution, specifically Articles 1, 2 and 3, which establish that elected officials remain bound by the party platform through which they were elected.

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The party’s National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, defended the policy, describing political parties as voluntary associations governed by internal rules accepted by members, and he cited constitutional provisions and judicial precedents, including landmark Supreme Court decisions, to support the party’s position that candidates function as agents of their political parties during elections. Egwuaba stated, “A political party is just like a club, church or mosque where there are rules and regulations. That is why the 1999 constitution, under Section 222, states that a candidate of a political party is just a mere agent of the party. And once a candidate is declared the winner and inaugurated, until the expiration of the tenure upon which that candidate won the election and was inaugurated, the mandate belongs to the political party, not any other.” Egwuaba stressed that the policy does not infringe on the constitutional right of freedom of association because candidates remain free to leave the party whenever they choose—but they must forfeit the seat obtained through the party’s platform. He insisted that adherence to the new requirement is non-negotiable under the party’s internal rules, warning that without the signed affidavit, a candidate’s name cannot be uploaded in the INEC portal. According to Egwuaba, the mandatory affidavit will serve as a binding legal undertaking, and candidates must swear before a competent court that they understand and accept the party’s anti-defection terms before their names can be processed. The party maintained that the new rule was necessary to strengthen party discipline, preserve voter intent, and reduce what it called the distortion of electoral mandates through opportunistic defections.

In a clarification that drew attention, the party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communication, Theo Agada, stated that the policy does not affect the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, explaining that the party trusts the commitment of its presidential and vice presidential nominees, and they are not bound by this policy. Agada stated, “The policy does not affect the presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, and the vice presidential candidate, His Excellency Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The party trusts the commitment of our presidential and vice presidential nominees, and they are not bound by this policy. This internal policy is aimed at building the NDC as an institution and preventing political prostitution among some of its members.” However, multiple reports indicate that despite the significance of the policy, several prominent party figures, including Obi and Kwankwaso, were absent from the signing ceremony at the party’s national secretariat, and aspirants who were absent were directed to obtain, complete, and submit the required documents as a condition for final validation and submission of their names to INEC. Some gubernatorial and National Assembly candidates present at the meeting signed the affidavits before the end of the event.

The policy is widely seen as an attempt by the NDC to avoid the wave of defections that has weakened several opposition parties in recent years, and notably, both Obi and Kwankwaso have moved across multiple political platforms throughout their careers. Obi’s political journey has taken him from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , the Labour Party , the African Democratic Congress (ADC) , and eventually the NDC , while Kwankwaso has also belonged to multiple parties, including the PDP, the All Progressives Congress (APC) , the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) , the ADC, and the NDC. Former Adamawa State governorship candidate, Aishatu Binani, is also among recent entrants into the NDC, having moved from the APC to the ADC before joining the party in 2026, and the new anti-defection policy is expected to affect several high-profile politicians who recently joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections. NDC leaders say the initiative forms part of a broader effort to redefine Nigeria’s political culture, strengthen party supremacy, and promote greater accountability among elected officials, with the party expressing hope that the policy would encourage ideological commitment, reduce opportunistic defections, and contribute to the development of stronger democratic institutions in the country. Cleopas concluded, “This is not just a party for one man to rise and achieve his ambitions and do anything he likes with the party. This is a political party that we desire to groom and hand over to the next generation.”

NDC Introduces Anti-Defection Pact for Obi, Kwankwaso, Others

Atiku Camp Rejects Court-Ordered ADC Deregistration, Alleges Plot to Cripple Opposition

ABUJA — The camp of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the deregistration of the party, describing the ruling as a dangerous attempt to weaken opposition forces and entrench a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The reaction was conveyed on Monday by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, who argued that the judgment was delivered in defiance of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal and amounted to what he termed “judicial rascality.”

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had earlier ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties — the Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The judgment, delivered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, followed a legal action instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties failed to satisfy constitutional and statutory requirements for continued registration, including winning elective positions or securing at least 25 per cent of votes in any state during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.

In addition to ordering their deregistration, the court restrained the affected parties from participating in future political activities and directed INEC not to recognize them as registered political parties.

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However, the Atiku camp insisted that the ruling could not stand, citing a pending appeal and a stay-of-action order issued by the Court of Appeal.

In a statement posted on X, Ibe maintained that the appellate court had previously directed Justice Lifu to halt further proceedings on the matter pending the determination of an appeal filed before it.

According to him, a panel of the Court of Appeal comprising Justices Mohammed A. Danjuma, Adebunkunola A. Banjoko and Oyejoju O. Oyewumi, in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026, ordered a stay of further action in the case, with the substantive appeal scheduled for hearing on October 27, 2026.

“The so-called deregistration of the ADC and other parties by Justice Peter Lifu may yet be the biggest manifestation of President Bola Tinubu’s determination to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state,” Ibe stated.

He further described the judgment as “the height of judicial rascality” and accused the ruling party of seeking to weaken democratic institutions ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“Nigerians and the international community can see the level of desperation of the government of the ruling party to either have their way in the 2027 elections or destroy our democracy that was purchased at a huge cost,” he added.

The development has heightened political tensions, with observers anticipating a legal showdown at the Court of Appeal over the validity of the Federal High Court’s judgment and the future status of the affected political parties.

As of press time, INEC had yet to issue an official response on the court order or indicate the steps it would take regarding the affected parties.

Atiku Camp Rejects Court-Ordered ADC Deregistration, Alleges Plot to Cripple Opposition