A throwback video of Nollywood actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo criticising former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resurfaced online, just weeks after he was appointed as the official spokesperson for Atiku’s 2027 presidential campaign under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The 2023 interview, which has gone viral across social media platforms, has reignited public debate over Okonkwo’s dramatic political shift.

In the interview aired by Channels Television, Okonkwo launched a scathing attack on Atiku, accusing him of involvement in questionable consultancy payments and the use of special purpose vehicles to create what he described as “phony companies.”

According to Okonkwo, the allegations were serious enough to warrant criminal prosecution.

“Atiku has confessed that he used special purpose vehicles to create phoney companies for which he paid consultancy fees, and from which the consultancy fees were paid back to him.

“He said it openly. His voice is there. Buhari is supposed to send him to jail.

“The two people that deserve prison, I don’t know what they are looking for in the presidency,” he said during the interview.

Okonkwo also criticised Atiku’s response to allegations surrounding the Achimugu controversy, arguing that the former vice president failed to defend himself when questioned publicly.

“Nobody has sued him for defamation, libel or slander.

“These are issues that the candidates themselves and their parties have controversially said do not exist.

“Atiku was asked about the issue of Achimugu by the BBC. You know what he said? ‘We’ve passed over that.’ He offered no defence,” he added.

The resurfaced video comes shortly after Atiku announced Okonkwo as his official spokesperson ahead of the 2027 presidential election, a move that has generated mixed reactions, with many social media users questioning the apparent contradiction between the actor’s previous remarks and his current role in the former vice president’s campaign.