Udenwa Demands ₦5bn Damages, Public Apology From Kenneth Okonkwo Over Alleged Defamation

Former Imo State governor, Achike Udenwa, has demanded ₦5 billion in damages and a public apology from African Democratic Congress (ADC), chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, over alleged defamatory comments made during a live television interview.

The demand was contained in a three-page letter dated June 11, 2026, signed by Udenwa’s counsel, Chief Soronnadi Njoku (SAN), and sighted on Sunday.

According to the letter, the former governor said Okonkwo’s comments falsely portrayed him as a person who extorted money from political aspirants through intimidation and violence, an allegation he described as damaging to his reputation.

It added that the remarks were made during a nationally broadcast television programme and were subsequently circulated across traditional and online media platforms, thereby amplifying their reach and impact.

The letter stated that the statements had severely injured Udenwa’s reputation, portraying him as “a common criminal who abuses his position for personal monetary gains.”

It further referenced an appearance by Okonkwo on Channels Television on June 8, 2026, during which he allegedly accused leaders of the South-East caucus of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), including Udenwa, Peter Obi and Onyema Ugochukwu, of extorting aspirants seeking elective positions within the party.

“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 had said.

He also alleged that one of the aspirants, Obunike Ohaegbu, provided evidence of payments, including receipts, to support the claims.

In response, Udenwa, through his lawyer, demanded that Okonkwo issue a formal retraction and public apology within seven days of receiving the letter.

The former governor also insisted that the apology be published in five national newspapers and broadcast during prime-time programming on Channels Television, alongside an undertaking not to repeat the allegations.

In addition, he is seeking ₦5 billion as compensation for alleged reputational damage.

The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated period would leave him with no option but to institute legal action before the appropriate High Court in Imo State.

The development comes days after former Anambra State governor and NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also issued a similar ₦5 billion demand and apology request against Okonkwo over the same allegations.

Okonkwo, in response, has dismissed the claims and shared what he described as WhatsApp conversations with Obunike Ohaegbu to support his position, insisting that his comments were based on available evidence.