Okonkwo: Obi’s Defamation Suit Is Based on Statements I Never Made
Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign, has claimed that the defamation lawsuit filed against him by Peter Obi is based on statements he never made.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Okonkwo said Obi had already begun legal action against him but questioned the basis of the suit, arguing that defamation cases should be tied to specific statements that have allegedly harmed a person’s reputation.
The controversy followed comments Okonkwo made in June, where he alleged that Obi and some members of the South-East caucus of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) demanded payments from National Assembly aspirants in exchange for party tickets.
Okonkwo had also referred to a message allegedly sent to him by Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra, claiming Obi collected ₦10 million from him.
However, Ohaegbu later appeared on the same programme to deny that Obi personally collected any money from him. He explained that the ₦10 million payment was made into the NDC’s official bank account based on instructions from the party’s national secretary.
Following the allegations, Obi threatened legal action against Okonkwo and demanded ₦5 billion in damages over what he described as defamatory comments that affected his reputation.
Obi said the lawsuit was also aimed at stopping Okonkwo from making further damaging claims against him.
Reacting to the development, Okonkwo insisted that he never claimed he had information that could “destroy” Obi, saying his comments were misunderstood.
“I did not say anything — whether it would destroy him or not,” Okonkwo said.
He explained that Obi began the legal process before he made any further statements, adding that he had advised the former Anambra governor against suing his spokesperson because such a move could lead to the disclosure of confidential information during the defence.
“When you’re dealing with Peter Obi, it’s good to put everything in writing. What I said is on my X handle,” he said.
Okonkwo also clarified that the ₦5 billion damages claim came from Obi’s pre-action notice and not directly from the court proceedings.
“The ₦5 billion did not commence from the court; it commenced from his pre-action notice. The court is just where you go to seek the reliefs already requested,” he added.
