Peter Obi Replies Kenneth Okonkwo Over ‘Street Urchins’ Remark: “We Rise by Lifting Others”
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and his estranged ally, Kenneth Okonkwo, have engaged in a heated exchange of words over comments regarding Obi’s supporters.
Mr Okonkwo, who parted ways with Obi’s political camp after the 2023 presidential election, fired the first salvo during an interview with SYMFONI, a YouTube-based media outlet. In the interview obtained by PulseNets, the veteran actor-turned-politician accused Obi of surrounding himself with “street urchins” instead of “refined individuals.”
Okonkwo told PulseNets that Obi’s silence in the face of misinformation allegedly spread by his supporters was troubling.
“How is it that people are lying with Peter Obi’s name, and he keeps quiet? Why can’t he call them to order publicly? Why hasn’t Peter Obi disowned that blatant falsehood carried out in his name?” Okonkwo queried.
“It only exposes a leader who cannot defend the truth or protect those who once worked with him. These are Peter Obi’s major problems — attracting street urchins, classless ones. I saw one of those ekuke-level characters the other day — rabies-infected dogs, ill-mannered and uncultured. These are now the kinds of followers he attracts. Imagine, in a country where other leaders draw distinguished minds, he attracts urchins.”
His remarks quickly stirred a wave of reactions across social media, with supporters of the former Anambra governor accusing Okonkwo of being “bitter” since leaving the Labour Party.
In a swift response, Mr Obi addressed the controversy in a statement obtained by PulseNets on Wednesday. The former governor emphasized that his politics had always been rooted in compassion and inclusion, not elitism.
“Humanity remains at the core of my politics — no street urchins. True leadership is never about mocking the weak; it is about lifting them up,” Obi said.
“It’s unfortunate that some now describe those who support me as ‘street urchins’ or people of no value. This mindset is degrading and reflects how low we’ve allowed our collective humanity to sink.”
Obi further stated that every Nigerian deserves respect, irrespective of social status or economic condition.
“I will never look down on anyone, except to lift them up. After all, we rise by lifting others. No Nigerian is of no value; no Nigerian is a street urchin. It says a lot about our country that ordinary citizens, already crushed by poverty and hardship, are now being branded as worthless.”
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PulseNets learnt that the public spat between the two former allies has once again exposed internal divisions within the Labour Party family, even as both men continue to shape public discourse in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
