Peter Obi Takes Kenneth Okonkwo, Ex-Loyalists To Court

The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has initiated legal action against his former loyalist and kinsman, Kenneth Okonkwo, over alleged defamatory remarks accusing him of corruption and criminal conduct.

According to Ireporter Online, the dispute follows Obi’s exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), after which Okonkwo allegedly made a series of public allegations against the former Anambra State governor.

Court documents filed by Obi’s legal counsel reveal that Okonkwo claimed Obi and other party leaders collected a ₦10 million bribe from aspirants seeking tickets to contest for seats in the House of Representatives.

In the suit dated June 9, 2026, and signed by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co. (Madiba Chambers), Obi described the allegations as entirely fabricated, malicious, and highly damaging to his reputation.

The legal filing stated that Okonkwo alleged that NDC leaders in the South-East required House of Representatives aspirants to pay a ₦10 million bribe in addition to the official expression of interest fee, claiming that documentary evidence existed to support the accusation. He was also alleged to have claimed that Obi personally compiled the party’s list of candidates from a hotel room at Johnwood Hotel, warned aspirants that Obi intended to scam them, accused him of travelling abroad to collect money from individuals, and alleged that Obi and South-East NDC leaders were engaged in criminal activities.

Obi’s legal team rejected the claims in their entirety, insisting that the statements falsely portray their client as someone involved in bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty, and criminal conspiracy. The lawyers argued that the allegations were designed to tarnish Obi’s image and undermine his longstanding reputation for integrity and public service.

The chambers further maintained that the statements were false, baseless, reckless, and unsupported by any credible evidence, adding that they were deliberately intended to expose Obi to public hatred, ridicule, and contempt. They also expressed concern over the widespread circulation of the remarks after they were made during a live television broadcast and subsequently amplified across various online and social media platforms.

According to the legal team, while freedom of expression is a constitutional right, it does not extend to the reckless publication of falsehoods capable of destroying another person’s reputation.

As part of the reliefs sought, Obi’s lawyers demanded that Okonkwo immediately withdraw the alleged defamatory statements and issue a clear, unequivocal, and unreserved public apology. They insisted that the apology should receive the same level of publicity as the original broadcast and be published across all of Okonkwo’s social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

The legal team also requested a written undertaking that Okonkwo would refrain from making or publishing any further defamatory statements against Obi, alongside the payment of financial compensation for the alleged damage caused by the remarks.