The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has threatened legal action against his former ally, Kenneth Okonkwo, over allegations that he collected money from party aspirants in exchange for political tickets.
In a pre-action letter signed by his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), Obi accused Okonkwo of making false and defamatory statements during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday. He is demanding N5 billion in damages for the alleged harm caused to his reputation.
During the interview, Okonkwo alleged that Obi and members of the NDC’s South-East caucus demanded N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants seeking party tickets. He further claimed that an aspirant from Anambra State, Obunike Ohaegbu, accused Obi of collecting the money before directing aspirants to participate in primaries instead of receiving automatic tickets.
Okonkwo also alleged that Obi compiled and submitted a list of candidates from a hotel in Abuja, describing the actions of the party leadership as criminal. The claims quickly sparked reactions within political circles and among supporters of both men.
However, Ohaegbu has publicly denied making the allegations attributed to him. Appearing on the same television programme a day later, he stated that Obi never asked him to pay N10 million and that he never told Okonkwo otherwise. “I am telling you that Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million. I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi, in any way, told me to pay N10 million,” he said.
Reacting through his legal team, Obi described the allegations as reckless and damaging, arguing that they portrayed him as a fraudster, extortionist, and participant in criminal activities. He demanded an immediate retraction, a public apology on Channels Television and across Okonkwo’s social media platforms, as well as a written undertaking that similar claims would not be repeated. Obi warned that failure to comply within seven days would leave him with no option but to seek legal redress in court.
Elijah Adeyemi
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