By CHARLES IWUOHA

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, has dragged his former loyalist Kenneth Okonkwo to court, demanding ₦5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made during a television interview.

A suit filed by Peter Obi’s legal counsel dated June 9, 2026, and signed by Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co. (Madiba Chambers) described Okonkwo’s recent allegations against him as fabricated and damaging.

Okonkwo, a Nollywood actor-turned-lawyer-and-politician and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had alleged that Obi and others had collected a bribe of N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants.

However, Obi’s legal team said the claim is false. According to the legal document, Okonkwo stated in substance and effect:

“(a) That our client, Mr. Peter Obi, together with the leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the South-East, informed the party’s aspirants that any person seeking to contest as a member of the House of Representatives must, after paying the prescribed expression of interest fee, pay a bribe of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) to the NDC and to the caucus leaders.”

The document further outlines additional claims made by Okonkwo during the broadcast, noting his assertions:

“(b) that the said unlawful demand was accompanied by documentary proof; the person who relayed the information to you having sent the said information together with the receipt evidencing the payment;

(c) that our Client personally wrote and compiled the list of the party’s candidates from his hotel room at the Johnwood Hotel;

(d) that you warned the said aspirants that our Client is going to scam them;

(e) that our Client travels abroad to collect money from people; and

(f) that our Client and the leaders of the NDC in the South-East are perpetuating criminality.”

Rejecting the assertions, Obi’s legal team emphasized that the remarks directly target their client’s character, integrity, and public standing.

The chambers stated: “The above statements, in their natural and ordinary meaning and by necessary implication, falsely and maliciously represent our client as a person who demands, solicits, organizes, and collects bribes; who extorts, defrauds, and swindles political aspirants of their money; who is a fraudster, a scammer, and a dishonest political actor; and who, in concert with others, is engaged in criminal conspiracy and is actively perpetuating criminality.

“These are extremely grave, damaging, and reckless imputations of bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty, and criminality directed at the character, integrity, reputation, and public standing of our Client.”

The letter goes on to describe the public nature of the statements as particularly troubling due to their rapid amplification across digital channels.

According to it, “For the avoidance of doubt, our Client states categorically that the said allegations are false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory, and wholly unsupported by any fact. They were made with the clear intent and purpose of lowering our client in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, exposing him to hatred, contempt, and ridicule, and injuring his hard-earned reputation as a man of unquestionable integrity, a statesman, and a political leader.

“It is particularly disturbing that the said statements were made by you on live television and were thereafter republished, broadcast, and widely circulated through online and social media platforms, including video-sharing platforms, where such falsehoods spread rapidly and assume a life of their own. Your words were not mere political commentary.

“They crossed the permissible bounds of fair comment and constituted a direct assault on our Client’s person, integrity, image, and reputation.”

The law firm said that the right to freedom of expression does not permit the reckless destruction of another person’s reputation.

Among the firm’s listed demands is for Okonkwo to pay Obi ₦5 billion as general, aggravated and exemplary damages. Other demands include for Okonkwo to immediately withdraw the defamatory statements in their entirety and publish a clear, unequivocal, and unreserved public apology to Peter Obi.

“This withdrawal and apology must be given equal prominence to the original broadcast and shared across all his social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

“Additionally, the legal team demanded a written undertaking that he will cease making or publishing further defamatory statements against their client, alongside a financial compensation package,” his legal team stated.

News Express reports that Okonkwo had launched accusations at Obi the latter dumped ADC for NDC.

Okonkwo has not hidden his support for the presidential aspiration of Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, who emerged as the flagbearer of ADC ahead of the 2027 general election.