The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, is demanding N5 billion in damages from actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo over alleged defamation.
In a letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi’s lawyer, Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused Okonkwo of making “false, malicious and defamatory” claims against the former governor of Anambra State during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8.
According to the letter, Okonkwo allegedly claimed that Obi and leaders of the NDC in the South-East demanded a N10 million payment from aspirants seeking House of Representatives tickets after paying the official expression of interest fee. The letter also alleged that Okonkwo stated there was documentary evidence of the payment, including receipts.
The legal team further accused Okonkwo of alleging that Obi personally compiled the party’s list of candidates from a hotel room, warned aspirants that Obi would scam them, claimed Obi travelled abroad to collect money from individuals, and alleged that Obi and South-East NDC leaders were involved in criminal activities.
Obi’s lawyers described the statements as “false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory and wholly unsupported by any fact.”
The legal team said the allegations had damaged Obi’s reputation and public standing, arguing that the comments went beyond legitimate political criticism.
“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 letter said.
Obi is demanding that Okonkwo withdraws the statements within seven days, issue a public apology, and publish the apology through the same platforms where the comments were circulated, including television and social media channels.
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections is also seeking N5 billion as general, aggravated and exemplary damages and wants a written undertaking that no further defamatory statements will be made against him.
The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated period would leave Obi with “no option than to seek legal redress” and pursue legal action, including claims for damages, injunctive reliefs, public retraction, apology and the cost of court proceedings.
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.
“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.”