Onitsha, Nigeria — Former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Gregory Obi has filed a defamation lawsuit against former ally and actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo at the High Court of Anambra State, Onitsha Judicial Division, seeking a total of ₦8 billion in damages over alleged false and malicious statements made against him.
According to court filings, Obi is challenging remarks allegedly made by Okonkwo during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on June 8, 2026, as well as the subsequent circulation of those claims across social media platforms. Obi’s legal team described the statements as false, baseless, malicious and defamatory, arguing that they were deliberately designed to injure his reputation and public standing.
In the suit, Obi is asking the court to award ₦5 billion in general damages, ₦2 billion in aggravated damages, and ₦1 billion in exemplary damages, bringing the total claim to ₦8 billion. He is also seeking a full retraction and public apology, an order compelling Okonkwo to delete the allegedly defamatory publications, and a restraining order barring him from making similar allegations in the future.
The legal action marks a major escalation in the worsening fallout between the two former political associates. The dispute stems from Okonkwo’s public allegations that Obi and some South-East political leaders demanded ₦10 million from House of Representatives aspirants in addition to official party fees — claims Obi has consistently denied and described as fabricated.
The case now sets the stage for a potentially high-profile legal and political battle between two once-close allies, with wider implications for opposition politics and the credibility war already building ahead of the 2027 general election.
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