The former governor of Anambra State and current presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has taken Kenneth Okonkwo, a long-time loyalist and kinsman, to court.
According to a lawsuit filed by Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co. (Madiba Chambers) on behalf of Peter Obi on June 9, 2026, the accusations made by Okonkwo were deemed false and detrimental.
The former Nollywood star turned politician and lawyer Okonkwo had previously accused Peter Obi and others of accepting N10 million in bribes from candidates for the House of Representatives.
Nonetheless, the claim was denied by Peter’s legal team.
According to the document that was legally signed, Okonkwo said:
“(a) Our client, Mr. Peter Obi, in conjunction with the South-East Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) leaders, informed the party’s candidates that in addition to the prescribed expression of interest fee, they would be required to pay a bribe of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) to the NDC and the caucus leaders if they aspired to run for the House of Representatives;”
Additional accusations made by Okonkwo during the broadcast are detailed in the document, along with his assertions:
(b) if there was documentary proof of the unlawful demand; that the individual who informed you had handed you the information along with the receipt showing the payment;
(c) that our client used his hotel room at the Johnwood Hotel to personally write and assemble the party’s candidate list;
(b) you had forewarned those hopefuls that our client was planning to con them;
(f) our client and the NDC’s southeast regional executives are running a criminal enterprise.
As the chambers declared:
In their plain and ordinary sense, as well as by necessary implication, the statements above falsely and maliciously portray our client as someone who demands, solicits, organises, and collects bribes; who extorts, defrauds, and swindles political aspirants out of their money; who is a con artist, a con artist, and a dishonest political actor; and who, along with others, is involved in criminal conspiracy and is pushing criminality forward. Attaining our client’s character, integrity, reputation, and public standing, these allegations of bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty, and criminality are exceedingly serious, harmful, and careless.
It is deeply troubling that the statements in question were made by you during live television and then shared on various online and social media platforms, including video-sharing sites, where they quickly gain traction and become widely believed.