Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress and former governor of Anambra State, has dragged his former loyalist and kinsman, Kenneth Okonkwo, to court. 

A suit made by Peter Obi’s legal counsel dated June 9, 2026, and signed by Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co. (Madiba Chambers) described Okonkwo’s allegations as fabricated and damaging. 

Recall that the Nollywood actor-turned-lawyer-and-politician, Okonkwo had alleged that Peter Obi and others had collected a bribe of N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants. 

However, Peter’s legal team said the claim is false. 

According to the legal document, Okonkwo stated in substance and effect:

“(a) That our client, Mr. Peter Obi, together with the leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the South-East, informed the party’s aspirants that any person seeking to contest as a member of the House of Representatives must, after paying the prescribed expression of interest fee, pay a bribe of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) to the NDC and to the caucus leaders;”

The document further outlines additional claims made by Okonkwo during the broadcast, noting his assertions:

“(b) that the said unlawful demand was accompanied by documentary proof; the person who relayed the information to you having sent the said information together with the receipt evidencing the payment;

(c) that our Client personally wrote and compiled the list of the party’s candidates from his hotel room at the Johnwood Hotel;

(d) that you warned the said aspirants that our Client is going to scam them;

(e) that our Client travels abroad to collect money from people; and

(f) that our Client and the leaders of the NDC in the South-East are perpetuating criminality.”

Rejecting the assertions, Obi’s legal team emphasized that the remarks directly target their client’s character, integrity, and public standing.

The chambers stated:

“The above statements, in their natural and ordinary meaning and by necessary implication, falsely and maliciously represent our client as a person who demands, solicits, organizes, and collects bribes; who extorts, defrauds, and swindles political aspirants of their money; who is a fraudster, a scammer, and a dishonest political actor; and who, in concert with others, is engaged in criminal conspiracy and is actively perpetuating criminality. These are extremely grave, damaging, and reckless imputations of bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty, and criminality directed at the character, integrity, reputation, and public standing of our Client.”

The letter goes on to describe the public nature of the statements as particularly troubling due to their rapid amplification across digital channels.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our Client states categorically that the said allegations are false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory, and wholly unsupported by any fact. They were made with the clear intent and purpose of lowering our client in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, exposing him to hatred, contempt, and ridicule, and injuring his hard-earned reputation as a man of unquestionable integrity, a statesman, and a political leader. It is particularly disturbing that the said statements were made by you on live television and were thereafter republished, broadcast, and widely circulated through online and social media platforms, including video-sharing platforms, where such falsehoods spread rapidly and assume a life of their own. Your words were not mere political commentary. They crossed the permissible bounds of fair comment and constituted a direct assault on our Client’s person, integrity, image, and reputation.”

The law firm said that the right to freedom of expression does not permit the reckless destruction of another person’s reputation.

The firm’s listed demands require Okonkwo to immediately withdraw the defamatory statements in their entirety and publish a clear, unequivocal, and unreserved public apology to Peter Obi.

“This withdrawal and apology must be given equal prominence to the original broadcast and shared across all his social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Additionally, the legal team demanded a written undertaking that he will cease making or publishing further defamatory statements against their client, alongside a financial compensation package,” his legal team stated. 

Recall that in the past days Okonkwo had launched accusations at Peter Obi after dumping the African Democratic Congress. 

Okonkwo has not hidden his support for the presidential aspiration of Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, who emerged as the flagbearer of ADC ahead of the the 2027 general election. 

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate in the last FCT council election, Dr. Paul Moses Ogidi, has called for the immediate suspension of the proposed judgment in Petition No. FCT/ACET/EP/01/2026, citing what he described as unresolved jurisdictional issues surrounding the composition of the Area Council Election Petition Tribunal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ogidi said the tribunal was allegedly constituted in violation of Section 135(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which, according to him, requires the inclusion of a High Court judge in the tribunal’s composition.

The petitioner argued that the alleged defect raises fundamental questions about the tribunal’s competence to hear and determine the matter.

According to him, his legal team had on April 10, 2026, petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, requesting the reconstitution of the tribunal in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

He stated that after receiving no response, a further petition was submitted to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on May 21, 2026, seeking urgent intervention on the matter.

Ogidi said the concerns raised in both petitions remain unresolved despite the tribunal’s reported plans to deliver judgment in the case.

He also disclosed that communications on the issue had been sent to several national and international institutions, including the United Nations, the European Union, the United States Embassy and the British High Commission.

“It is trite law that jurisdiction is the foundation of every judicial proceeding. A court or tribunal that lacks jurisdiction cannot confer validity upon its proceedings by the mere passage of time,” he said.

The petitioner warned that proceeding with judgment while questions over the tribunal’s composition remain unresolved could raise legal and constitutional concerns and potentially affect the validity of any decision reached.

He therefore called for the suspension of the judgment, urgent intervention by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the reconstitution of the tribunal in compliance with the Electoral Act.

Ogidi maintained that the issue extends beyond his petition and touches on the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral justice system, urging the relevant authorities to ensure that all jurisdictional concerns are addressed before any final judgment is delivered.

Former factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has acknowledged that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, brought significant prominence to the party ahead of the 2023 general election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, Abure said Obi’s entry into the Labour Party boosted its national profile, although he maintained that the party had already established itself as a viable political force before the former Anambra State governor joined.

According to Abure, the Labour Party and Obi contributed equally to the party’s success during the 2023 elections, describing the relationship as a “50-50 contribution.”

He said Nigerians were already searching for an alternative political platform, while the Labour Party provided a credible structure that attracted Obi and other politicians.

Abure noted that the party was not without achievements before Obi’s arrival, recalling that it had previously produced a governor and elected public office holders.

He also stated that several prominent politicians, including Pat Utomi and Alex Otti, had joined the party before Obi, adding that the Labour Party was already emerging as a third-force movement in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Abure said: “There’s no gainsaying the fact that Mr. Peter Obi brought prominence to the Labour Party.

“But to say very clearly, it is a ’50-50 contribution’. Nigerians were determined to have an alternative political platform to the other platforms. I want to believe that we created and made the platform available. We created that opportunity, and we brought our own credibility and platform to the party.

“I’m sure that that was what Peter Obi saw that attracted him to the party. The party wasn’t completely empty.

“You recall that the party had once had a governor before. We have had elected office holders before.

“And let me say this very clearly: even before Peter Obi came, a lot of prominent Nigerians had already joined the party. So, it was very clear that the party was already becoming the third-force political party in Nigeria before Peter Obi came.

“Don’t forget that politicians like Pat Utomi, Alex Otti and some other political heavyweights had already joined the party before Peter Obi joined.

“But I want to agree completely that he brought prominence, and we also complemented that. And that was what resulted in what we had in the 2023 general election.”