Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has declined Peter Obi’s demand for a public retraction and apology over allegations linked to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary election process.
In a response to a pre-action notice issued by Obi, Okonkwo maintained that he would not withdraw comments made during a recent appearance on Channels Television, insisting that his remarks were based on complaints received from party aspirants and other sources.
The dispute arose from statements Okonkwo made on Sunrise Daily, where he alleged that some NDC aspirants were required to pay money to secure party tickets.
Following the interview, Obi, the NDC’s presidential candidate, through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), demanded a retraction, a public apology, and N5 billion in damages, describing the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory.
However, in a letter dated June 16 and issued through his solicitors, Supreme God Chambers, Okonkwo rejected the claims of defamation.
“The kernel of your letter is that our Client defamed your Client through the interview on Channels Television on 8 June 2026,” the letter stated.
“Our Client denies that he defamed your Client in any manner whatsoever and expressly asserts that his position on the issues he expressed reflects the true position of the matters so reflected.”
According to Okonkwo’s legal team, the comments were based on information allegedly provided by Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra State, along with other party members.
The lawyers claimed that Ohaegbu approached Okonkwo for assistance in recovering N10 million he allegedly paid to the party during the nomination process. They further alleged that Ohaegbu believed the payment had secured him the party ticket, only to later be directed to participate in direct primaries.
The response also claimed that Ohaegbu held Obi responsible for the situation and urged Okonkwo to bring the matter to public attention.
Okonkwo’s lawyers further cited complaints from other aspirants, including OAU Onyema, a former senatorial aspirant in Enugu State. According to the letter, several aspirants paid various sums during the screening and nomination process but later felt misled by party officials.
The legal team argued that Okonkwo acted within his rights as a lawyer, public affairs analyst, and politician by highlighting concerns raised by aggrieved aspirants.
“Our Client stands by the truth of all he declared on Channels TV,” the lawyers stated.
They added that the objective of Okonkwo’s comments was to expose alleged transactional politics, ticket racketeering, extortion of aspirants, misleading representations, false pretences, undue influence, and coercive pressure within the political process.
The letter also accused Obi’s camp of publishing Okonkwo’s personal telephone number online after the pre-action notice was issued. The lawyers described the alleged action as a violation of privacy that exposed their client to harassment and attacks.
The disagreement marks the latest development in an increasingly public dispute between the two political figures, with both sides maintaining their positions as the matter appears headed for further legal scrutiny.
