A state high court in Onitsha, Anambra State, has allowed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to serve court summons on Kenneth Okonkwo. This is part of a N5 billion defamation case against Okonkwo, who was Obi’s former spokesperson.
The judge, D.A. Onyefulu, gave the order on Tuesday, 30 June, according to a court document seen by PREMIUM TIMES.
The order came after Obi's lawyer, Chisom Ibemesi, filed an ex parte application. Obi’s earlier attempts to serve Okonkwo were unsuccessful.
The court said Obi could serve the writ of summons and other documents by pasting them at Okonkwo’s last known address. This address is NPR 48 Ofuluonu, Nsukka, Enugu State, near Ijeoma Fishing Company. Obi can also deliver the documents to any adult at the residence.
Justice Onyefulu also ordered that the service should be photographed and filed in court to show that the orders were followed.
The court said Obi must complete this within seven days.
Obi and Okonkwo used to be political allies. Okonkwo worked as Obi’s spokesperson when they were both in the Labour Party (LP).
Obi was the LP’s presidential candidate in 2023. Both politicians later moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as they prepared for the 2027 general elections.
However, Obi eventually left the ADC for the NDC. He became the party’s presidential candidate for 2027.
Okonkwo's membership in the ADC’s National Working Committee seemed to have unsettled him after Obi left. Since then, Okonkwo has criticized Obi.
During a program on Channels TV, Okonkwo claimed that Obi and the South-east caucus of the NDC asked for a N10 million bribe from House of Representatives aspirants to secure their tickets.
He specifically mentioned Obunike Ohaegbu, a House of Representatives aspirant from Anambra State. According to Okonkwo, Ohaegbu sent him a message and a receipt claiming Obi scammed him out of N10 million.
Okonkwo said Ohaegbu, who is seeking the Nnewi North-South and Ekwusigo Constituency seat, told him that after paying the bribe, the aspirants were told to prepare for primaries instead of receiving tickets.
Okonkwo also claimed that Obi, instead of ensuring fair primaries, stayed at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja, to prepare a list of candidates for various constituencies.
He said that voting for the NDC and Obi meant supporting criminal activities. He argued that the party was extorting aspirants.
Meanwhile, Ohaegbu denied making these statements. On Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on 9 June, he said he never told Okonkwo that Obi asked him to pay N10 million.
“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,” he stated.
Ohaegbu also said he never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery and did not claim that Obi made a candidate list at Johnwood Hotel.
In response, Obi issued a pre-action notice. He threatened to file a N5 billion lawsuit against Okonkwo if he did not withdraw his allegations, pay N5 billion as compensation, and apologize publicly within seven days.
In a letter dated 16 June, Okonkwo, through his lawyer V. I. Uma, insisted that he stood by his statements and would not take them back.
Okonkwo attributed most of his comments on the Channels TV program to Ohaegbu, who had already denied making those statements.
In a recent interview, Ohaegbu said he and Obi were actually “victims” of what Okonkwo was alleging.
After Okonkwo refused to withdraw his remarks, Obi filed an N8 billion lawsuit against him on 25 June.
The NDC candidate is asking the court to make Okonkwo pay him N8 billion in damages and to remove his alleged defamatory comments from social media.
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