Peter Obi I campaigned for is different from who he is now – Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesperson for the Labour Party presidential campaign, has said the Peter Obi he campaigned for in the 2023 presidential election is different from the person he now sees politically.

Okonkwo made the remark while explaining why his relationship with Obi had deteriorated following their departure from the Labour Party and subsequent political developments ahead of the 2027 election.

According to him, changing political circumstances can alter an individual’s position, and refusing to adapt could amount to inconsistency.

He explained that his support for Obi was based on the platform and circumstances that existed at the time.

“I campaigned for him as a member of Labour Party and as the presidential candidate of Labour Party. There was no agreement I should follow him wherever he’s going to because if he’s going to fall into a pit, I do not have any contract to fall into the pit with him,” he said.

Okonkwo added that his assessment of Obi had changed because, according to him, the political platform, information and circumstances surrounding the former Anambra State governor had also changed.

“So what the person you’re seeing now is completely different from the person I campaigned for, different platform from the information that I have heard, different human being,” he said.

Obi was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election and later left the party for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), after previously being involved in the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Okonkwo, who is now a chieftain and spokesperson for the ADC presidential campaign, has repeatedly criticised Obi’s decision to leave the coalition and pursue his 2027 presidential bid on the NDC platform.