Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has formally responded to allegations of defamation made against him by former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that his comments were based on information provided by an aggrieved aspirant and did not amount to defamation.
In a letter dated June 16, 2026, and addressed to Obi through his legal representatives, Okonkwo’s lawyers rejected the claims against their client and accused Obi of attempting to intimidate him for expressing opinions on matters of public interest.
The response came days after Obi demanded a retraction, apology and damages over comments made by Okonkwo during a television interview.
According to the letter, Okonkwo described the allegations against him as surprising, noting that he had maintained a professional reputation throughout his career.
“Our Client found it novel and absurd when he received a letter of defamation of character from Mr Peter Obi,” the letter stated, adding that the action appeared “calculated to distract and cow him from carrying out his legitimate duties as guaranteed by the law.”
Okonkwo’s legal team also accused Obi of improperly disclosing their client’s personal telephone number in correspondence that later circulated on social media.
The letter alleged that the publication of the number exposed Okonkwo to harassment and threats.
“This conduct constitutes a data breach against our Client and is an affront to our Client’s right to privacy,” the lawyers wrote.
They further claimed that Okonkwo had suffered attacks and abuse following the circulation of the information.
Addressing the core of the dispute, Okonkwo denied defaming Obi during his appearance on Channels Television on June 8.
“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,” the letter stated.
The response revealed that Okonkwo’s comments were based on information allegedly supplied by an aspirant identified as Obunike Ohaegbu, who reportedly approached him seeking assistance in recovering funds he claimed to have lost during political activities connected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to the letter, Ohaegbu contacted Okonkwo on June 7 and shared grievances relating to the party’s internal processes.
The document quoted Ohaegbu as claiming that while other political leaders consulted stakeholders before conducting primaries, “Mr Peter Obi, his leader from Anambra State, deceitfully told them to go for direct primaries without consultation.”
The letter further alleged that Ohaegbu informed Okonkwo that NDC leaders had granted Obi significant influence over party structures and candidate selection processes in the South-East.
According to the lawyers, Ohaegbu claimed that party officials believed Obi, as the party’s presidential candidate, needed to raise funds for his campaign and therefore exercised substantial control over the nomination process in the region.
Okonkwo’s legal team argued that their client merely relayed concerns brought to him in his capacity as a public affairs analyst and commentator.
The lawyers maintained that Okonkwo acted within his constitutional rights and professional responsibilities by discussing issues raised by a citizen who sought public attention for his grievances.