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Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has criticised what he described as political intolerance among supporters of Peter Obi in the Southeast region.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Okonkwo alleged that politicians in the Southeast who choose to contest elections under political parties different from Obi’s platform are often subjected to harassment and verbal attacks by some of Obi’s supporters.
According to him, individuals who decide to align with other political parties are frequently labelled with derogatory terms and accused of betraying regional interests. He argued that such an approach discourages political diversity and healthy democratic competition within the region.
Okonkwo said, “If you want to contest in Igbo land under another party, you will see Obi’s supporters embarrassing the person, abusing the person. They will say, ‘Hey, you are a sellout! Hey, you are a betrayer!’ No, Igbo people should not do like that.”
The former Labour Party spokesperson drew comparisons with political practices in the Southwest, noting that politicians in the region often contest elections under different political parties without facing similar hostility. He referenced the Social Democratic Party as an example, stating that the party has consistently produced presidential candidates from the Southwest while politicians from the region continue to freely associate with other platforms.
Okonkwo also cited the political history of former Nigerian nationalist and statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe during the 1979 elections. According to him, Azikiwe contested under the National Party of Nigeria but did not pressure his associate, Alex Ekwueme, to abandon the National Party of Nigeria for his own platform.
He argued that the mutual political understanding and tolerance that existed at the time eventually benefited the Southeast politically, leading to the emergence of Ekwueme as Vice President and the region securing the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives despite not producing the president.
Okonkwo maintained that the Southeast should embrace political maturity, tolerance, and cooperation rather than attacking politicians who choose different political paths.
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