Former Labour Party chieftain and African Democratic Congress (ADC) member Kenneth Okonkwo has made fresh allegations concerning the conduct of party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Okonkwo accused some political leaders of undermining the democratic process during candidate selection exercises.
According to him, many aspirants believed they were participating in genuine primary elections, while decisions on eventual candidates had allegedly been made beforehand.
He claimed: “While they were doing primaries, Peter Obi was in a hotel writing the list of candidates that will win the primaries.”
Okonkwo alleged that the incident occurred at John Wood Hotel, where he said preferred candidates were being selected for submission to the party.
The lawyer and politician stated that the allegation was brought to his attention by a House of Representatives aspirant who was reportedly disappointed after investing time, resources and effort in a process he believed would be transparent and competitive.
According to Okonkwo, such actions, if proven true, could undermine confidence in internal party democracy and discourage aspiring politicians from participating in future elections.
Beyond the issue of party primaries, he also criticised the broader state of opposition politics in Nigeria, alleging that internal disputes and a lack of transparency have weakened efforts to build a credible alternative political movement.
The comments were made during a wider discussion on governance, national security and political reforms.
As of the interview, the allegations remained Okonkwo’s claims and had not been independently verified. The remarks have drawn attention because they concern the integrity of party primaries, a key element of Nigeria’s democratic process.
