The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has threatened legal action against African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo over comments he described as defamatory.
In a pre-action notice issued through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), Obi demanded a public apology and retraction from Okonkwo following remarks made during a live interview on Channels Television on Monday.
The allegations
During the Sunrise Daily programme, Okonkwo alleged that Obi and the south-east caucus of the NDC demanded bribes from aspirants seeking tickets to contest for seats in the senate and house of representatives.
He specifically referenced Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC aspirant for a house of representatives ticket in Anambra State, claiming the aspirant accused Obi of collecting N10 million from him in exchange for the ticket.
However, Ohaegbu later appeared on the same programme and refuted the allegation. He clarified that the N10 million payment was made into the NDC’s official bank account based on instructions from the party’s national secretary and not directly to Obi.
Obi demands apology and compensation
In the letter, Obi described Okonkwo’s remarks as “extremely grave, damaging and reckless imputations of bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty and criminality” against him.
He maintained that the allegations were “false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory and wholly unsupported by any fact”.
According to the letter, the statements were intended to damage his reputation, expose him to public ridicule and undermine his standing as a political leader.
Obi further argued that the comments gained wider circulation after being aired on television and shared across various online and social media platforms.
The former Anambra governor demanded that Okonkwo withdraw the allegations, publish an unreserved apology on Channels Television, X and other social media platforms, and pay N5 billion as compensation for the reputational damage allegedly caused.
He warned that failure to comply within the specified period would lead to legal proceedings.
Okonkwo responds
Reacting to the threat of a lawsuit, Okonkwo dismissed Obi’s demands and stood by his allegations.
“It has been brought to my notice that there is a letter circulating online from Peter Obi, and his Lawyers that I should pay him N5b. Hahaha!,” he wrote on X.
The former Labour Party spokesperson suggested that if Obi needed campaign funds, he should seek assistance rather than pursue what he described as extortion.
Okonkwo also claimed he personally financed some of his activities while serving as Obi’s campaign spokesperson during the 2023 presidential election, including flight tickets and hotel accommodation.
He added that he had yet to read the letter but warned that any legal action could compel him to disclose information obtained while serving in Obi’s campaign team.
“Anyone who decides to sue his former Spokesperson for defamation is indeed very unwise,” he stated.
Okonkwo concluded by saying he would respond formally after reviewing the letter, insisting that taking the matter to court would be embarrassing for Obi and his legal team.
Obi and Okonkwo were political allies during the 2023 elections when the actor left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Labour Party and later served as a spokesperson for Obi’s presidential campaign.