The “Onuku” Called Kenneth Okonkwo

By Valentine Obienyem 

Honestly, I had resolved not to speak or write about Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo. I had, in fact, given up on him entirely. In my own estimation, I had placed him in a category even lower than what I have come to describe as the “Joe tribe.”

For clarity, we have never accused members of the Joe tribe of being useless. Rather, our concern is that they follow one man so unquestioningly that they have surrendered independent judgment. This tendency often blinds them to fairness, even in their dealings with their own people, where one would ordinarily expect understanding and restraint.

Indeed, the Joe tribe ranks higher than Kenneth Okonkwo in one important respect: they are predictable. One can reasonably anticipate their position on any issue. Once PBAT is involved, they will simultaneously pretend to preach Igbo unity and the pursuit of an Igbo presidency, while insisting – without contradiction – that PBAT alone is qualified to occupy that office.

Kenneth Okonkwo, on the other hand, like Reno Omokiri and Bwara defies such predictability. His positions shift constantly; they are fluid, uncertain, and often difficult to pin down. One is left wondering where he truly stands on any given matter.

If I had decided not to write about him, why then this sudden volte-face? The answer lies in a conversation I had this evening with a seasoned and highly respected journalist. I often call him to exchange views on the state of affairs. As we discussed current developments, he assessed figures such as Mr. Oseloka Obaze, Senator Ben Obi, Senator Victor Umeh, and others with clarity and satisfaction. 

At the end of the conversation, I asked him, almost as an afterthought: “What about Kenneth Okonkwo?”

His response was immediate and dismissive. He advised me to forget about him entirely, describing him simply as “Onuku.” According to him, Okonkwo is merely making noise, oblivious to the deeper political currents at play. In his view, his role is limited to saying whatever his patrons require of him, in exchange for compensation. This description raises an important question: what exactly does Onuku mean?

For the benefit of our non-Igbo readers, it is best explained by Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, who has written extensively on the subject:

“One of the most invidious, most reprehensibly offensive, and roundly disgusting of these masquerades is ‘Onuku.’ The name simply means ‘fool,’ or ‘the fool.’ This masquerade has the form of a man. But what a wretch of a man he represents! Onuku embodies and symbolises degenerate manhood. It is the very worst type of man anyone could possibly hope to see or imagine.

Undignified, unwilling to take part in open, manly contests, a wielder of unearned titles, and a winner of wrestling contests where he either had no challengers or where he first neutralised his opponents by either poisoning or by violating the Rules of Engagement and compromising the umpires. Such a man lives, but no one really knows his means of livelihood. He pays people for loyalty and does not understand the meaning of truth, service, and selflessness.

And Igboland  has had political “Onukus” prancing all over the place for some time now. But back to the masquerade called “Onuku”

His shabbiness is legendary. His looks, in facial features, are undisguisedly repulsive. Its total lack of dignity, grace, and refinement stands out in abject repugnance. Totally without any redeeming feature, Onuku’s costume is offensive, dull, drab, and dreary in every way. The ‘face’ wears a permanent and abominably lecherous leer. The nose runs. The tongue droops, hanging from one side of the mouth, as if it would drop to the ground at any moment. The steps are purposeless. The gait is unsteady. The general movement, considered for a full-grown man, is wishy-washy. The bearing is annoyingly wobbly. The carriage is beggarly. The sagging shoulders suggest everything despicable you can think of in a man.

“Onuku” never walks in a straight line, no! He also does not walk with the sure and firm steps of a healthy or bold man. This masquerade will rather continuously enact the zigzag path of a drunkard as it walks, to the irritation and annoyance of observers. Worse still, he is never accompanied by drummers or assistants.

“Onuku” offers no cheery entertainment of any sort, does not sing, does not dance, does not try to amuse anyone, and does not even ask for money, the way some masquerades do. So, what does Onuku ever really offer?

Watch this masquerade enter the venue of any event and you will throw up your hands in dismay and consternation. Never through the popular pathway or entrance—mbanu! Sneaking into the community square from nearby farms or bushes, unnoticed, is his ken.

Watch him meander to where unsuspecting women are absorbed in the celebrations. See how “Onuku” will, quietly and without warning – at least none of the women will notice on time – inflict hugs and all manner of disconcerting molestations on his unlucky victims.

The only masquerade you would sometimes find receiving beatings from, or getting involved in fights with, women is “Onuku”: a symbol of debauchery, degenerate manhood, and the profane.

This masquerade often made the job of mothers who wished to keep their rascally children on the slippery path of moral rectitude easy. An exasperated mother may rebuke her boy by asking whether he wishes to grow up and become like “Onuku.” It always worked like magic. A shudder would sometimes even accompany many a boy’s emphatic “no” to such a query from his mother. Some boys would burst into tears at the very thought of becoming like “Onuku.” Many a child thus queried may even need to be consoled and petted for a long time thereafter.

Most pregnant women would do anything to avoid setting their eyes on Onuku throughout the duration of their pregnancy. Why? There was the belief that pregnant women should generally avoid bad and abominable things during the period of their pregnancy so as not to give birth to malformed or evil children. Yes, mothers dreaded the thought of giving birth to a creature so wretched, so despicable, and so degenerate in appearance, behaviour, character, and spirit as ‘Onuku’ ‘Onuku’ is just ‘Onuku.’”

In the final analysis, the frightening   similarity between Kenneth Okonkwo and the figure “Onuku”lies not merely in inconsistency, but in a deeper absence of conviction and steadiness in public conduct. Like “Onuku”, he appears unmoored from principle – drifting from one position to another without a clear anchor. A striking example is his posture after the 2023 election, when he dismissed Atiku Abubakar, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Peter Obi, arguing that the country needed an entirely new set of leaders. Yet, not long after, he began promoting Atiku – the very figure he had so recently set aside. Such abrupt reversals reinforce the image of a man whose steps, like those of Onuku, lack direction and firmness. Where one expects consistency and clarity, there is instead a pattern of zigzagging positions, shaped less by conviction than by shifting convenience. Yesterday, Peter was an Angel of Light and descended to become the devil. As soon as he joined the ADC, he became an Angel once more. Today, after joining NDC, he degenerated to a devil again. Like “ Onuku” your beliefs are determined by the fluidity of the moment. 

In the end, Onuku is not merely a masquerade but a moral symbol. He stands as a warning against a life devoid of principle, dignity, and purpose. Wherever such traits appear in public life, the name “Onuku” readily comes to mind.