Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has rejected Peter Obi’s demand for a retraction and apology over allegations linked to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary election process.
Responding to a pre-action notice issued by Obi, Okonkwo said he would not withdraw comments made during a recent appearance on Channels Television, maintaining that his remarks were based on complaints received from party aspirants and other sources.
The dispute arose from comments Okonkwo made on *Sunrise Daily*, where he alleged that some aspirants were asked to pay money in exchange for party tickets.
Following the interview, Obi, through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), demanded a public retraction, apology, and N5 billion in damages, describing the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory.
However, in a letter dated June 16 and signed by his solicitors at Supreme God Chambers, Okonkwo dismissed the allegations of defamation and defended his comments.
“Our Client denies that he defamed your Client in any manner whatsoever and expressly asserts that his position on the issues he expressed reflects the true position of the matters so reflected,” the letter stated.
Okonkwo’s legal team said the comments were based on information allegedly supplied by Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra State, as well as complaints from other party members.
According to the response, Ohaegbu approached Okonkwo seeking assistance to recover N10 million he allegedly paid during the party’s nomination process.
The lawyers claimed Ohaegbu believed he had secured the party ticket after making the payment but was later directed to participate in direct primaries.
The letter further alleged that Ohaegbu held Obi responsible for the development and encouraged Okonkwo to bring the matter to public attention.
Okonkwo’s lawyers also referenced complaints allegedly made by other aspirants, including OAU Onyema, a former senatorial hopeful in Enugu State, who they said expressed concerns about the nomination process.
The legal response argued that Okonkwo acted within his rights as a lawyer, politician, and public affairs commentator by highlighting issues brought to him by aggrieved aspirants.
“Our Client stands by the truth of all he declared on Channels TV,” the lawyers said.
They added:
“The whole idea of his speaking on Channels TV, which information he received from the aspirants, NDC, and other Nigerians, is to expose transactional politics, ticket racketeering, extortion of aspirants, misleading representations, false pretence, undue influence and coercive pressure.”
The letter also accused Obi’s camp of publishing Okonkwo’s personal telephone number after the pre-action notice became public.
Describing the publication as a violation of privacy, the lawyers alleged that it exposed their client to harassment and threats.
The exchange marks the latest development in the growing dispute between both political figures over the conduct of the NDC primary process and the allegations surrounding the party’s ticket allocation system.
