African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has claimed that Peter Obi squandered a rare opportunity to become Nigeria’s president, arguing that the former Anambra State governor failed to make the sacrifices necessary to secure political power.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on the Selah Meditate Podcast, where he was asked to assess Obi, President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking about Obi, Okonkwo said Nigerians had shown an unusual willingness to support him and hand him political power without the conventional political bargaining often associated with elections.
“Peter Obi is a man who had opportunity of being great and dashed it by himself. No system will give you egg without breaking it. You can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg,” he said.
The former Obi campaign spokesperson argued that the former governor needed to make difficult political sacrifices to preserve the support he had built.
“He’s a man that God and living people would have loved to give him what he wants, but he needs to make the necessary sacrifice, no matter what it will entail, to hold onto that free gift,” Okonkwo added.
He further maintained that Obi’s political situation was unusual because, in his view, Nigerians were prepared to give a politician power “free of charge”.
The comments are significant as opposition politicians continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Obi remains a prominent opposition figure, while Okonkwo has moved from being a key member of Obi’s 2023 campaign to the political camp associated with Atiku.
