Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has initiated legal action against former ally and kinsman, Kenneth Okonkwo, over allegations the former actor and politician made against him during a public broadcast.
In a legal notice dated June 9, 2026, and signed by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co. (Madiba Chambers), Obi’s legal team described the allegations as false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation.
The dispute stems from claims made by Okonkwo alleging that Peter Obi and certain leaders of the NDC in the South East demanded a N10 million payment from House of Representatives aspirants in addition to the official expression of interest fees.
According to the legal document, Okonkwo alleged:
“(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 suit also referenced other allegations allegedly made by Okonkwo, including claims:
“(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 allegations, Obi’s legal representatives argued that the statements portrayed their client as a corrupt and dishonest public figure involved in criminal conduct.
“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 legal team further stated:
“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.”
Obi’s lawyers maintained that freedom of expression does not extend to defamatory statements capable of damaging an individual’s reputation.
As part of their demands, the legal team requested that Okonkwo immediately retract the allegations and issue a clear, unequivocal, and unreserved public apology to Obi. The apology, they stated, should receive the same level of prominence as the original publication and be disseminated across all relevant social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
The legal team also demanded a written undertaking that Okonkwo would refrain from making further defamatory statements against their client, in addition to financial compensation.
The latest development follows a series of public criticisms made by Okonkwo against Obi after his departure from the political movement. In recent weeks, Okonkwo has openly expressed support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
At the time of filing this report, Okonkwo had not publicly responded to the legal action.
