Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticized former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi over a ₦5 billion defamation suit filed against him, arguing that the move contradicts Obi’s long-held commitment to protecting free speech.
The legal dispute stems from comments Okonkwo made during a television interview in which he alleged that Obi and some leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the South-East demanded additional payments from aspirants seeking party tickets and were involved in irregularities during the party’s nomination process.
In a pre-action letter dated June 9, Obi’s legal team accused Okonkwo of making “false, malicious and defamatory” statements that allegedly portrayed him as a fraudster, scammer and participant in criminal activities.
The former governor is demanding a public retraction, apology and ₦5 billion in damages.
According to Obi’s lawyers, Okonkwo had alleged that House of Representatives aspirants were required to pay ₦10 million beyond the official nomination fees and that Obi personally influenced candidate selections.
The legal team described the claims as “false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory and wholly unsupported by any fact.”
Responding to the lawsuit threat, Okonkwo dismissed the action and challenged Obi to proceed with the case.
“Anyone who decides to sue his former spokesperson for defamation is indeed very unwise,” Okonkwo said in a series of posts on X.
The actor-turned-politician further warned that legal proceedings could compel him to reveal information obtained during his time as Obi’s spokesperson.
“I may have to divulge information I acquired as a spokesperson, which by my conscience I have not shared with anyone,” he stated.
In a separate reaction, Okonkwo reminded Obi of his repeated assurances that he would not use state power to intimidate critics if elected president.
“You promised not to arrest or intimidate anybody for expressing their opinion,” Okonkwo reportedly said while questioning the decision to pursue legal action against a former ally.
The remark has since fueled debate among supporters and critics of both politicians.
The controversy began after Okonkwo alleged during a television appearance that an aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu, informed him that he had been scammed during the party’s primary process.
However, Ohaegbu later publicly denied claims that Obi personally collected money from him, stating that payments were made to the party’s official account rather than to Obi.
Documents and screenshots subsequently released by Okonkwo were criticized by several observers online, who argued that they did not directly support the allegations made against Obi.
The transaction receipt shared by Okonkwo reportedly showed payment to the party’s official account rather than to Obi personally.
Despite the growing public exchanges, Obi has maintained that the issue is about protecting his reputation from what he considers damaging falsehoods.
Through his lawyers, he insisted that the allegations crossed the line from political criticism into defamation and demanded that Okonkwo retract the statements and issue a public apology.
As of the time of filing this report, Okonkwo had indicated his readiness to defend his claims in court, while Obi’s legal team has maintained its demand for damages and a formal retraction.