By Mary Onyia
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has given actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo a seven-day ultimatum to retract what he described as false, malicious, and defamatory allegations made against him, or face legal action.
In a letter issued through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), Obi also demanded a public apology and N5 billion in damages over comments allegedly made by Okonkwo during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8, 2026.
According to the letter, Okonkwo accused Obi and some NDC leaders in the South-East of demanding N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants in addition to official nomination fees. He was also alleged to have claimed that Obi personally compiled the party’s list of candidates from a hotel room and warned aspirants against trusting him.
Obi’s legal team described the allegations as false, reckless, nd defamatory, arguing that they portrayed the former Anambra State governor as a fraudster, extortionist, nd participant in criminal activities. The lawyers maintained that the claims lacked any factual basis and were deliberately aimed at damaging Obi’s reputation and public standing.
Consequently, Obi demanded an immediate withdrawal of the statements, a public retraction and apology to be published on the same media platforms through which the allegations were circulated. The letter warned that failure to comply by June 17, 2026, would leave Obi with no option but to institute legal proceedings seeking damages, injunctive relief, nd other remedies available under the law.