Former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, is asking for N5 billion in damages and a public apology from Kenneth Okonkwo, a leader in the African Democratic Congress. This comes after Okonkwo allegedly made defamatory comments during a television show.
Udenwa’s request is in a three-page letter dated June 11, 2026, which was signed by his lawyer, Chief Soronnadi Njoku (SAN).
In the letter seen on Sunday, Udenwa accused Okonkwo of making false claims. He said Okonkwo suggested that he got money from political aspirants through threats and violence.
The letter states that these remarks were made during a live TV broadcast and later shared by many media outlets and online platforms.
“Most regrettably, your defamatory statement against him, accusing him of illegally securing money from aspirants by compulsion and violence, or wrongly and illegally obtaining money from those aspirants by compulsion or violence, which statement you made during a live television programme broadcast both nationally and internationally, and which statement was subsequently published by numerous media houses and several online platforms, has greatly injured our client in his credit and reputation and portrayed him as a common criminal who abuses his position for personal monetary gains,” the letter stated.
Okonkwo, in an interview on Channels TV on June 8, 2026, allegedly connected Udenwa to extortion of aspirants wanting elective positions in the Nigerian Democratic Party.
He said, “This is why the NDC released a statement that it is only the South East caucus of the party that was involved in such problems.
“Onyema Ugochukwu, Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of the South East caucus were busy extorting the South East aspirants.”
Okonkwo claimed that one of the aspirants, Obunike Ohaegbu, shared with him details of the alleged payments and provided a receipt.
In response, Udenwa, through his lawyer, is asking Okonkwo to publish a retraction and apology within seven days.
The former governor wants the apology to be in five national newspapers and aired during prime-time on Channels Television.
“We do hereby, on his instructions, give you seven days from the date of this letter to write a strongly worded letter of apology to him, published in five national dailies, as well as aired, prime time, on Channels Television, wherein you clearly, in unmistakable terms, retract your said publication against him, and give an undertaking never to defame him ever again,” the letter added.
Besides the apology, Udenwa is also asking for N5 billion as compensation for the alleged damage to his reputation.
“We also demand the payment of the sum of N5 billion as compensation to him to assuage the injuries your said false publication has occasioned to him,” the letter stated.
Udenwa warned that he would take legal action if Okonkwo does not meet his demands in the given time.
“Take notice that if the above demands are not strictly met within the stipulated time frame, we have his instructions to commence legal proceedings against you in the appropriate High Court in Imo State, to claim the said sum of N5 billion as damages against you, as well as the appropriate injunctive reliefs against you,” the letter added.
PUNCH Online reported that NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also asked for N5 billion in damages and a public apology from Okonkwo over the same alleged defamatory comments.
The former governor of Anambra State also threatened legal action and suggested he could ask for more damages if his requests are not met.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, Okonkwo dismissed Udenwa's demands.
He also shared supposed WhatsApp chats between him and Ohaegbu, which he claims support his accusations about Obi’s role in the party's primary process.
Okonkwo was once Obi’s spokesperson before they parted ways.
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