Okonkwo Releases Evidence Against Peter Obi as ₦5bn Defamation Battle Looms

Okonkwo Releases Evidence Against Peter Obi as ₦5bn Defamation Battle Looms

Renowned Nollywood actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo has escalated his public dispute with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), by releasing what he describes as documentary evidence to support allegations of financial extortion during the party’s primary elections.

Okonkwo insists that aspirants seeking elective positions under the NDC were compelled to make unauthorized payments to secure party tickets and has directly accused Obi of playing a central role in the alleged scheme. The allegations have triggered a fierce response from Obi’s legal team, which has issued a pre-litigation notice demanding ₦5 billion in damages and a public apology within seven days.

The controversy first erupted after Okonkwo appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, where he alleged that House of Representatives aspirants were required to pay ₦10 million while Senate aspirants were asked to pay ₦20 million. He further claimed that Obi personally supervised the preparation of a list of candidates at the Johnwood Hotel in Abuja and that some of the names included on the list belonged to individuals who either lost their primary elections or did not participate in the process.

According to Okonkwo, aspirants who challenged the legitimacy of the payments were allegedly informed by party officials that the directives originated from Obi and leaders of the party’s caucus structure.

Seeking to reinforce his claims, Okonkwo released screenshots of WhatsApp conversations he allegedly had with Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant for the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency. The messages, shared on his X account, purportedly show Ohaegbu expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the party’s primary elections and the candidate selection process.

In one of the conversations released by Okonkwo, Ohaegbu was allegedly quoted as making highly critical remarks about Obi’s role in the process. Other excerpts purportedly referenced allegations that candidate lists were prepared outside the formal primary election structure and included names of individuals who did not emerge victorious during the exercise.

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Okonkwo also cited a statement from the NDC national secretariat, signed by National Secretary Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, which acknowledged that the party relied on a leadership structure associated with Peter Obi and that the primary election process in Anambra State was coordinated by Obi’s political team. Okonkwo argues that the statement supports his claims regarding Obi’s influence over the selection process.

Expanding on the alleged financial demands, Okonkwo referred to comments previously made by Senator Seriake Dickson, who noted that political aspirants are generally expected to pay only for Expression of Interest forms before primary elections. According to Okonkwo, any additional financial demands before the conclusion of the primaries would be contrary to established procedures.

He maintained that House of Representatives aspirants were allegedly asked to pay ₦10 million while Senate aspirants were required to pay ₦20 million. He further claimed that Ohaegbu informed him that when concerns were raised with party officials regarding the payments, Obi and members of his caucus were identified as those responsible for authorising the collections.

However, the allegations have been strongly disputed by Ohaegbu himself. During an appearance on Channels Television, the aspirant publicly denied ever telling Okonkwo that Peter Obi directed him to pay ₦10 million. Ohaegbu stated that while he had heard allegations about a candidate list being prepared in a hotel, he never specifically accused Obi of personally demanding money from him.

His denial has raised fresh questions about the credibility of the WhatsApp screenshots released by Okonkwo and whether the messages accurately reflect the context of their conversations.

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Peter Obi’s legal team, led by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) of Madiba Chambers, has since responded aggressively to the allegations. In a formal pre-litigation notice, the lawyers demanded an immediate retraction of all allegedly defamatory statements, a public apology across all platforms where the claims were published, a written undertaking to refrain from making similar allegations in the future, and ₦5 billion in damages.

The legal team identified several statements they consider defamatory, including allegations that Obi wrote candidate lists at the Johnwood Hotel, organised and collected bribes from aspirants, engaged in extortion and fraud, and received funds from undisclosed sources abroad. According to the lawyers, the allegations have caused serious damage to Obi’s reputation.

Despite the legal threat, Okonkwo has remained defiant. He has publicly called on anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the allegations.

The former Labour Party spokesman argued that as a lawyer and citizen, he has a responsibility to report any information suggesting criminal conduct. He insisted that anti-graft agencies should investigate the alleged transactions and determine whether aspirants were unlawfully compelled to part with money.

Legal observers say the dispute could evolve into a major courtroom battle. While Obi would need to prove that the allegations were false and damaging, Okonkwo could seek to rely on a defence of justification if he can demonstrate that his claims are substantially true.

At the same time, legal experts note that the publication of private WhatsApp conversations could raise separate privacy and evidentiary issues. Ohaegbu’s public denial of key allegations may also complicate Okonkwo’s defence if litigation proceeds.

With the seven-day deadline ticking, attention is now focused on whether Okonkwo will retract his statements or whether Peter Obi will proceed with legal action. As of the time of filing this report, neither side has shown any sign of backing down, setting the stage for what could become one of the most closely watched political and legal battles in Nigeria.

Okonkwo Releases Evidence Against Peter Obi as ₦5bn Defamation Battle Looms