Obi Drags Ex-Spokesman Okonkwo to Court Over Defamation Claims

The political rift between the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his former campaign spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has escalated into a legal battle.

This comes as Obi has filed a defamation lawsuit against Okonkwo at the High Court of Anambra State, sitting in the Onitsha Judicial Division.

The suit (No. O/229/26), filed on June 25, 2026, by Obi’s legal counsel, Alex Ejesieme, SAN, gives Okonkwo a 42-day ultimatum to respond upon being served at his Enugu State residence, or face a default judgment.

The legal action stems from an interview Okonkwo granted on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on June 8, 2026.

During the broadcast, Okonkwo allegedly accused the former Anambra State governor of financial extortion regarding party tickets.

According to Obi’s legal team, Okonkwo claimed that Obi and South-East NDC leadership demanded an additional ₦10 million from House of Representatives aspirants who had already cleared their official party fees.

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Furthermore, Okonkwo allegedly alleged that Obi curated candidate lists from a hotel room and accepted illicit funds from international sources.

Obi’s lawyers have vehemently denied these claims, labeling them as malicious, baseless, and defamatory.

In the writ of summons, the former presidential candidate is seeking several strict remedies from the court:

An order forcing Okonkwo to pin a retraction and apology at the top of his social media feeds permanently.

The absolute deletion of all interviews, videos, and posts carrying the defamatory statements across all platforms managed by Okonkwo.

A restraining order stopping Okonkwo from making future allegations of extortion, fraud, or criminal behavior against Obi.

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Court costs and a 10% annual interest rate on any monetary damages awarded until fully paid. (Note: An initial pre-litigation demand letter on June 9 had requested ₦5 billion in damages).

Okonkwo, who served as a prominent voice for Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, fell out with the politician after the general elections, frequently criticizing his leadership and political strategies.

Responding to Obi’s initial legal threats on June 16 through his own lawyers, Okonkwo doubled down, asserting that his television comments were informed by an aggrieved NDC aspirant. He dismissed the legal threats as an attempt to muzzle him and distract the public from internal party irregularities.