Ogbunike Ohaegbu, an aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency seat, has denied claims by Kenneth Okonkwo that he accused Peter Obi of demanding a N10 million bribe from aspirants.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Ohaegbu said he never told Okonkwo that Obi requested money from him or any other aspirant seeking elective office on the platform of the party.
The clarification comes a day after Okonkwo alleged on the same programme that Ohaegbu informed him that Obi and some leaders of the party in the south-east demanded N10 million from aspirants seeking to contest House of Representatives seats.
The actor-turned-politician, who was once an ally of Obi before their fallout, further alleged that the former Anambra governor was using such funds to finance his presidential ambition.
Reacting to the claim, Ohaegbu insisted that Okonkwo misrepresented his position.
“Let’s limit this to what he said I said,” Ohaegbu said.
“He said that the party, the national caucus, told us to pay N10 million. I never said that, and it’s not in the message.”
The NDC aspirant stated categorically that Obi never requested money from him.
“Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million,” he said.
“I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi in any way told me to pay N10 million.”
THE NATIONAL SECRETARY DEMANDED MONEY
Ohaegbu, however, alleged that the party’s national secretary requested the payment, distancing Obi from the controversy.
“The only person who asked me to pay N10 million is the national secretary,” he said.
He also denied telling Okonkwo that the alleged demand came from the party’s south-east caucus.
“I never had a meeting, any consultation, any gathering at all where consensus was discussed,” he said.
“So I could never have been in a position to be told by the national caucus to pay N10 million.”
Addressing another claim attributed to him by Okonkwo, Ohaegbu said he merely referred to allegations that a list of candidates had been compiled at the John Wood hotel in Abuja before the primaries.
“What I said there is there was an allegation,” he said.
“I never said I knew who was in the hotel. I never said so.”
According to him, his concerns were directed at the conduct of the party’s primary process and not at Obi personally.
