Obunike Ohaegbu, popularly known as Nwa Miss and a House of Representatives aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, has rejected claims linking him to allegations that the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, collected money from aspirants during the party’s primary elections.
His reaction follows comments made by actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo during a television interview, where he accused Obi and some South-East party leaders of benefiting from irregularities during the primaries.
Okonkwo had claimed that Ohaegbu contacted him with what he described as an urgent complaint about alleged misconduct within the party. He further alleged that Obi was involved in the controversy and suggested that voters should be concerned about such accusations.
Responding during an interview on Channels Television, Ohaegbu firmly distanced himself from the claims and insisted that he never accused Peter Obi of demanding money from him or any other aspirant.
According to him, the communication Kenneth Okonkwo referred to was simply a message he shared with party members, including Obi, asking them to ignore rumours that some candidates had already been handed automatic tickets before the primary election process was concluded.
Ohaegbu explained that he regularly sends political updates and messages to a large number of contacts and that Okonkwo happened to be one of the recipients.
He stated that after receiving the broadcast message, Okonkwo called him, but at no point during their conversation did he accuse Peter Obi of collecting money or manipulating the primary process.
“I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi asked me to pay N10 million. Peter Obi never discussed money with me, and I never had any financial conversation with him throughout the entire primary process,” Ohaegbu said.
He clarified that any discussions regarding nomination fees were held with the party’s National Secretary, whom he said instructed him on the payment process.
According to him, the N10 million he paid was an official payment made directly into the NDC’s bank account and not a bribe to any individual.
“The money was paid into the party’s account. It was not given to Peter Obi, and I never claimed that Obi asked for it,” he stressed.
Ohaegbu also dismissed reports suggesting he accused Obi and other party leaders of secretly writing election results while the primaries were ongoing.
He maintained that such statements were never made by him and challenged anyone to provide evidence showing where he linked Obi to any financial demand or electoral manipulation.
The aspirant added that while he has concerns about certain issues surrounding the party’s internal processes, his grievances are directed at the party structure and not at Peter Obi personally. He revealed that his legal team is already taking steps to address those concerns through the appropriate channels.