Former Director of Heritage and member of Peter Obi’s political movement, Katch Ononuju, has claimed that financial demands, particularly over house rent, were at the centre of the fallout between former Labour Party Presidential Campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking during an interview on Precious Enyi TV, Ononuju alleged that Okonkwo’s disagreement with Obi stemmed from expectations of financial support that were not fully met, insisting that money, rather than ideology, drove the rift between the two former allies.
According to him, Obi had attempted to assist Okonkwo during their political association, but the actor-turned-politician had expected more.
“Me and you last year started talks about Kenneth Okonkwo, and I told you as the leader of the spokespersons of Peter Obi what happened. So the fact that he had an issue, a private issue, and Peter tried to help, he was expecting more from Peter, he left and went to Atiku. Atiku helped him.
“Fine. The same thing Peter suggested was exactly what Atiku gave him.”
Ononuju claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar later provided the kind of support Okonkwo sought after leaving Obi’s camp.
“When he met Atiku, he talked to Atiku. Atiku was sweet. Told him he would do.
“Atiku still gave him money for a flat.”
The political commentator argued that financial concerns were at the root of the dispute.
“What brought trouble between him and us? Penny.
“Money to rent a house. I don’t tell Peter to pay me for house rent. Other people who work in the movement came in.”
He went further to criticize Okonkwo’s career trajectory, describing him as someone who abandoned the entertainment industry after failing to achieve sustained success.
“People like Kenneth, because he is failed, you know, in the movie, in the entertainment industry. He failed. That’s why he came to meet us in the political space.
“Kenneth Okonkwo is a failed entertainment entrepreneur. Kenneth is a pioneer of the Nigerian film industry, the local film industry. But some of the people who got there got successful.”
Ononuju also questioned Okonkwo’s political choices, particularly his criticism of Obi despite being from the South-East.
“Nigeria runs a representative democracy. Kenneth is from Enugu State. How can you, an Igbo man, want to work for a Fulani man, abusing the Igbo frontline candidate?
“What kind of human being are you?”
Describing Okonkwo as financially desperate, he added:
“He’s a hungry man. He is what Igbos call onye agụ ndị n’abu nri (a hungry man that struggles for food).
“That’s the problem. He doesn’t come and start begging for house rent. That is what got us into this mess.”
Ononuju advised politicians to maintain independent sources of income rather than depend on political benefactors for survival.
“If you must come and do politics, you better have a secondary source of income.
“If you come and jump into politics and you have no supporting base that sustains you, you will become as challenged as Kenneth Okonkwo is. This is the problem we have.”
Drawing comparisons with his own personal circumstances, Ononuju said financial pressures had never compelled him to compromise his convictions.
“Who told you I don’t have a problem? I have five children. And I pay university fees. And I’ve trained them all through university.
“Yet every day I’m on national television, not losing my conscience.”
He further accused Okonkwo of approaching politics with the mindset of an actor rather than a political strategist.
“Kenneth thinks it’s like the movie industry, where they pay him money, give him a script, and he goes to act.
“No. Politics is based on an intellectual understanding of the discussions within the public space.”
According to Ononuju, Obi’s political movement was built around the principles of fairness and equity, values he said should remain central to political engagement.
“The discussion right now, when Kenneth came to meet us, is about equity.”
The comments come amid an escalating war of words between Okonkwo and several figures within Obi’s political camp following the actor’s recent criticisms of the former Anambra State governor and the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
