Okonkwo: Peter Obi Had Nothing To Do With Your Nomination, Your Actions're Cheap Blackmail—Ladipo Johnson

Ladipo Johnson, an influential chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has publicly criticized popular Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo over his recent scathing remarks targeting the leadership structure and internal democratic processes of the newly reformed opposition party.

According to a video posted on the official YouTube channel of Channels Television on Friday, June 26, 2026, while discussing the internal crisis rocking the party, he stated, “I think Kenneth Okonkwo's actions are almost like cheap blackmail because Peter Obi had nothing to do with your getting a nomination since he was after his own ambition.”

The prominent politician explained that it remains completely erroneous for individuals to blame national leaders for their personal electoral failures on the field when the voting processes were thrown completely open to every qualified party candidate.

Johnson further emphasized that several high-profile individuals within the opposition movement failed to secure their respective tickets during the primary elections despite their immense closeness to the principal actors, proving that structural manipulation did not occur.

The senatorial candidate maintained that the newly formed political coalition faced unavoidable teething problems because numerous politicians from diverse ideological movements and structures collapsed their groups into the umbrella organization within an incredibly short timeframe.

He defended the integrity of the National Working Committee, stressing that the leadership group did its absolute best under intense pressure to satisfy the statutory requirements of the current electoral act despite facing heavy administrative constraints.

In his concluding remarks, Johnson urged aggrieved members to stop media blackmail and provide verifiable evidence to back any claims of bribery or irregularities, rather than launching coordinated public attacks against the core image of the party.