Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and former spokesman for Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential campaign, has stated that he was misled when he previously defended the former Anambra State Governor against allegations of leaving behind financial liabilities. Speaking on Sunday Politics on Television Continental, Okonkwo explained that recent disclosures from the Anambra State Government prompted him to alter his stance, emphasizing his readiness to update his positions when confronted with new evidence.

During the 2023 campaign, Okonkwo had publicly asserted that Obi left office without accumulating debts, unpaid salaries, pensions, or gratuities, famously urging the public to verify these claims. However, he noted that subsequent statements from the state government revealed that Obi's administration had secured eight external financing facilities and that workers at the state-owned water corporation experienced unpaid salaries and arrears.

The state government reported that these eight multilateral projects carried a combined contracted value of $123.77 million, with an outstanding balance of $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026. In response, Obi disputed the characterization of these figures as leftover debt, maintaining that external debt stood at approximately $30 million when his tenure ended in March 2014, referencing data from the Debt Management Office.

Okonkwo also addressed a previous instance where he defended Obi's family against criticisms regarding an expensive wristwatch allegedly worn by a son of President Bola Tinubu, stating that he could no longer make the same absolute assertions about modesty today. Now serving as a spokesman for Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential campaign council, Okonkwo remarked that his approach to scrutinizing political figures in the upcoming election cycle will shift from a supportive campaign stance to a rigorous, cross-examination style. Obi governed Anambra State from March 2006 until March 2014, with his term briefly interrupted by an impeachment in late 2006 before he ultimately handed over power to Willie Obiano.