Former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, has demanded ₦5 billion from African Democratic Congress chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, over alleged defamatory remarks made against him during a national television programme.
The demand was contained in a three-page letter dated June 11, 2026, with reference number CSAN/GC/26/25, addressed to Okonkwo and signed by Udenwa’s lawyer, Chief Soronnadi A. Njoku, SAN.
In the letter, Udenwa accused Okonkwo of making statements which allegedly portrayed him as someone who illegally obtained money from political aspirants through compulsion and violence.
According to the letter, the alleged remarks were made during a live television broadcast aired nationally and internationally, and were later republished by several media houses and online platforms.
Udenwa’s lawyer said the alleged statement had greatly injured the former governor’s reputation and portrayed him as a common criminal who abused his position for personal financial gain.
“Most regrettably, your defamatory statement against him, accusing him of illegally securing money from aspirants by compulsion and violence, or wrongly and illegally obtaining money from those aspirants by compulsion or violence, which statement you made during a live television programme broadcast, both nationally and internationally and which statement was subsequently published by numerous media houses and several online platforms, has greatly injured our client in his credit and reputation and portrayed him as a common criminal, who abuses his position for personal monetary gains,” the letter read in part.
Udenwa, through his lawyer, gave Okonkwo seven days from the date of the letter to issue a strongly worded apology and retraction.
The former governor demanded that the apology be published in five national newspapers and also aired during prime time on Channels Television.
He further demanded an undertaking from Okonkwo not to make any further defamatory statements against him.
“In the circumstance, we do hereby, on his instructions, give you seven days from the date of this letter to write a strongly worded letter of apology to him, published in five national dailies, as well as aired, prime time, in Channels Television, wherein you clearly, in unmistakable terms, retract your said publication against him, and give an undertaking never to defame him ever again,” the letter stated.
Udenwa also demanded the payment of ₦5 billion as compensation for the alleged damage caused by the statement.
“We also demand the payment of the sum of ₦5 billion as compensation to him to assuage the injuries your said false publication has occasioned to him,” the letter added.
The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated seven days would leave Udenwa with no option but to institute legal proceedings against Okonkwo before an appropriate High Court in Imo State.
The former governor said he would seek the ₦5 billion as damages, as well as injunctive reliefs against Okonkwo, if the demands are not met.
“Take notice that if the above demands are not strictly met within the stipulated time frame, we have his instructions to commence legal proceedings against you in the appropriate High Court in Imo State, to claim the said sum of ₦5 billion as damages against you, as well as the appropriate injunctive reliefs against you,” the letter stated.
As of the time of this report, Okonkwo had not publicly responded to the demand.