Ah, Kenneth Okonkwo! The man who once lit up our screens in Nollywood blockbusters now delivers plot twists worthy of a blockbuster sequel in Nigeria’s chaotic political theatre. One day he’s the fiery defender of a new Nigeria, the next he’s flipping allegiances faster than a market trader dodging rain. If hypocrisy had a face, it might just be wearing Okonkwo’s trademark intensity. And right now, that face is everywhere- praising Atiku Abubakar while savaging Peter Obi, the very man he once hailed as the messiah of competence.
Let’s rewind the tape. Not too long ago, Okonkwo was Peter Obi’s vocal spokesperson during the 2023 presidential campaign under the Labour Party. He spoke with passion about Obi’s vision, his integrity, and the need for a Southeast presidency after decades of marginalization. He threw himself into the fray, defending the “Obidient” movement with the zeal of a true believer. Nigerians listened. Many were inspired. But fast-forward to 2026, and the script has flipped dramatically. Okonkwo now accuses Obi of betrayal, indecisiveness, and even worse- alleging bribe-taking and shady dealings that have landed him in hot water with a hefty N5 billion defamation suit from his former principal.
“I stopped speaking for him because he lacks the decisiveness to lead,” Okonkwo declared on national television. He wanted Obi to “fight ferociously” for the mandate, to sacrifice more amid the post-election turmoil. Fair critique? Perhaps, if it came from a consistent voice. But coming from a man who has danced across party lines, it reeks of convenience. Obi, ever the calm operator, has challenged Okonkwo to spill all his “secrets” in court, even vowing to quit the 2027 race if proven unfit. The ball is in Okonkwo’s court, yet the drama continues.
Now, enter Atiku Abubakar, the man Okonkwo once roasted mercilessly. Throwback clips show Okonkwo eviscerating the former Vice President: accusing him of corruption, disloyalty, a “propensity for coded corruption,” and sacrificing national interest for personal gain. He painted Atiku as the embodiment of the old, tainted order. Yet here we are in 2026, with Okonkwo freshly appointed as Atiku’s spokesperson for the ADC’s 2027 push. Suddenly, Atiku is a “talent discoverer,” a man of vision who saw value in Okonkwo despite past barbs. “He looked beyond my criticisms,” Okonkwo gushes, contrasting Atiku’s magnanimity with Obi’s alleged betrayal.
Talk about selective amnesia! Atiku, to his credit, seems a pragmatic and vocal operator who brings media flair and Southeast outreach. But for observers, it’s a textbook case of political opportunism. Okonkwo himself has admitted using anti-Atiku rhetoric because “it was profitable” at the time. Now, the calculus has shifted. South-East marginalization remains his rallying cry- he even briefly withdrew support over Atiku’s VP choice- but the alliance holds, at least for now.
This double-faced dance isn’t new for Okonkwo. His political CV reads like a revolving door: dumping PDP, joining APC in 2018 (after criticizing Atiku), pushing for Southeast interests within Buhari’s party, then jumping to Labour with Obi, and now ADC. Each switch comes packaged with righteous indignation, as if this time it’s different, this time it’s pure. He blasts the Tinubu presidency and APC with gusto- labeling it a “government of catastrophe,” decrying insecurity, economic hardship, fuel prices, and leadership incapacity. “Tinubu is gone” if the opposition unites, he thunders. Harsh words from someone who once aligned with the party.
One can’t help but chuckle at the consistency of inconsistency. In a country starving for principled leadership, Okonkwo embodies the very cynicism many decry: politics as performance, loyalty as transaction, principles as props. His Nollywood background serves him well- delivering lines with conviction, switching roles seamlessly. But voters aren’t an audience buying tickets; they’re living the consequences of these flip-flops.
Critics from the South-East Revival Group and others rightly question which Okonkwo to believe: the passionate Obi endorser or the fierce detractor? The Atiku-basher or the loyal spokesman? Both can’t be true, they argue. Exactly. This chameleon act erodes trust in the political class. It fuels apathy among the youth who once saw Obi as a break from the script.
As 2027 looms, Nigerians deserve better than actors playing multiple parts. We need leaders with spines, not weather vanes. Kenneth Okonkwo’s saga is entertaining, no doubt- a real-life drama of ambition, grudges, and reversals. But it’s also a cautionary tale: in the end, the chameleon might change colours, but the tree it clings to remains the same old political forest. Will Nigerians fall for the latest act? Or demand a new script altogether?
Chigozie Nnuriam is a Lagos-based freelance writer.
