A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has firmly stated that he will not retract his alleged defamatory remarks against the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi. This comes after Mr. Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, threatened to file a N5 billion lawsuit against Mr. Okonkwo if he failed to withdraw his allegations, pay N5 billion in compensation, and issue a public apology within seven days.
Background of the Dispute
In a pre-action letter dated June 9, Mr. Obi claimed that Mr. Okonkwo defamed him by alleging that he defrauded House of Representatives aspirants of N10 million each and compiled a list of candidates for various federal constituencies in the South-east. Mr. Okonkwo previously served as a spokesperson for Mr. Obi when both were members of the Labour Party.
Okonkwo's Response
In a reply letter dated June 16, signed by his lawyer V. I. Uma, Mr. Okonkwo maintained that he stands by his words. He asserted that he spoke out after receiving briefs from NDC aspirants who were allegedly defrauded and extorted by the NDC South-east caucus led by Mr. Obi. The letter states: “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.” Mr. Okonkwo emphasized that his comments on Channels TV were aimed at exposing transactional politics, ticket racketeering, extortion of aspirants, and other malpractices.
Mr. Okonkwo attributed his statements to a House of Representatives aspirant in Anambra State, Obunike Ohaegbu, and other NDC aspirants in the South-east. However, Mr. Ohaegbu, while appearing on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, denied making such statements to Mr. Okonkwo. He said, “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.” Mr. Ohaegbu further stated that he never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery or claimed that Mr. Obi compiled a list of candidates in a hotel.
Privacy Concerns
Mr. Okonkwo also criticized the disclosure of his personal telephone number in the pre-action letter, which Mr. Obi and his lawyers published on social media without serving him personally. He described this as a data breach and an affront to his right to privacy. “It is our Client’s belief that this despicable act was intentionally deployed as a strategy to send a message to the numerous followers of your Client to illegally vulgar-abuse him in his line, throughout the entire media, track and target him for physical and psychological abuse, assault and eventually murder him,” the letter read. Mr. Okonkwo claimed he has suffered attacks and damages since his number was published, and he intends to seek appropriate remedies for this malicious act.
