The political relationship between Peter Obi and his former spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has taken a dramatic turn, with the former Labour Party presidential candidate filing an N8 billion defamation suit over allegations he described as false and malicious.
The suit, filed on Thursday at the Onitsha Judicial Division of the Anambra State High Court, marks the latest chapter in the growing rift between the two former political allies.
According to court documents, Obi, through his counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Alex Ejesieme, is seeking N8 billion in damages over remarks made by Okonkwo during a June 8 appearance on Channels Television and subsequent social media posts.
The dispute arose after Okonkwo, now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged that Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) South-East caucus collected N10 million each from House of Representatives aspirants in exchange for party tickets. He claimed to have evidence, including receipts and messages, to support the allegation.
Obi swiftly denied the claims and, through a pre-action notice dated June 9, demanded a public retraction, apology and N5 billion in compensation within seven days.
Okonkwo, however, declined to withdraw his remarks, maintaining through his lawyer that he stood by his statements, insisting they were based on complaints from aggrieved NDC aspirants.
In the suit, Obi described the allegations as “false, malicious, baseless and defamatory,” arguing that they had damaged his reputation, integrity and political standing.
He is asking the court to award N5 billion in general damages, N2 billion in aggravated damages over the repeated publication of the allegations, and N1 billion in exemplary damages for Okonkwo’s refusal to retract the statements despite receiving the pre-action notice.
Beyond monetary compensation, Obi is seeking a court order compelling Okonkwo to issue a full and unreserved apology on Channels Television, its YouTube channel, his social media platforms and in three national newspapers. He also wants all alleged defamatory posts deleted, the apology pinned to Okonkwo’s social media accounts, and a perpetual injunction restraining him from repeating the allegations.
The case highlights the complete breakdown of a once-close political relationship. Okonkwo served as Obi’s spokesperson during the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party. Although both later joined the ADC, Obi subsequently moved to the NDC and emerged as its 2027 presidential candidate, while Okonkwo remained in the ADC and has since become one of his most outspoken critics.
Meanwhile, Obunike Ohaegbu, the House of Representatives aspirant at the centre of the controversy, has publicly denied Okonkwo’s allegations. He insisted that Obi never asked him to pay N10 million for a party ticket and said neither Obi nor the NDC South-East caucus demanded money from him.
With both men standing firmly by their positions, the court will now determine whether Okonkwo’s statements amount to defamation or fall within the bounds of protected political commentary.
