ADC’s Okonkwo Laughs At Peter Obi’s N5bn Defamation Threat, Releases ‘Evidence Of Illegal’ NDC Payments
Nollywood Actor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has released what he called evidence backing his claim that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, demanded payments from party aspirants for the party’s primary elections.
Reacting to a legal threat for libel by Obi’s lawyers, Okonkwo dismissed the demand, saying: “It has been brought to my notice that there is a letter circulating online from the hypocrite, Peter Obi, and his lawyers that I should pay him N5 billion.
“Hahaha! If Peter Obi is looking for money to campaign, he should privately ask me for assistance, not come from extortion, and I will help him”.
Okonkwo initially made the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday, claiming that House of Representatives aspirants were forced to pay a ₦10 million bribe in addition to prescribed nomination fees, and that Obi personally compiled the party’s candidate list from a hotel room.
The Nollywood Actor-turned-politician identified the alleged whistle-blower as one Obunike Ohaegbu, who contested for the Nnewi North and South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency seat in Anambra State.
According to Okonkwo, Ohaegbu sent him an “SOS message” exposing the alleged fraud that shrouded the outcome of the primaries, including a receipt of the payment.
In a series of posts on his X account on Wednesday, Okonkwo shared screenshots of WhatsApp conversations with Ohaegbu, where the aspirant questioned the legitimacy of a candidate list allegedly compiled by Obi at the Johnwood Hotel in Abuja.
“Please tell me, if a person said that Peter Obi was writing list of aspirants in John Wood Hotel, Abuja, who didn’t win election in NDC, to become candidates for NDC, what else is criminality? He even stated clearly that Peter Obi wrote Senator Victor Umeh’s name as a candidate when he lost,” Okonkwo wrote.
Okonkwo further alleged that Ohaegbu had told him that Obi and NDC caucus leaders demanded that aspirants pay additional sums after purchasing their expression of interest forms.
He said, “When all of them paid, thinking they were the candidates, they were told to go for the primary. While they were doing the primaries, Peter Obi was in the John Wood hotel writing names of candidates”.
Okonkwo also highlighted a press statement from the NDC which, according to him, showed that the party directed aspirants to Obi’s caucus when Ohaegbu questioned who authorised the extra payments.
“Obunike Ohaegbu, when I questioned him to prove that Peter Obi was responsible for demanding the N10m from him and other HOR aspirants and N20m from the Senate aspirants, he made it clear that when he confronted the Party on who authorised the payment, the party named Peter Obi and the caucus leaders who were assembled by Peter Obi,” Okonkwo stated.
He cited an earlier policy clarification by Senator Seriake Dickson that aspirants should only pay for expression of interest forms, and that only winners of primaries should pay nomination fees, insisting that any additional payment amounts to corruption.
Okonkwo called on anti-corruption agencies to investigate the matter and ensure that aspirants who paid are refunded.
“Let me make it clear that as a citizen and a Lawyer, I have a duty to disclose every crime against the state that comes within my knowledge. The appropriate security agencies and anti-corruption agencies should immediately commence the investigation of this fraud by NDC and its leaders with a view to refunding the aspirants who were defrauded,” he said.
The allegations have been strongly denied by Obi’s legal team.
In a letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi’s lawyers demanded an immediate retraction, a public apology, and N5 billion in damages, threatening legal action if Okonkwo fails to comply within seven days.
Obi’s lawyers described the statements as “false, malicious, reckless and defamatory,” arguing that they portrayed the former Governor as “a person who demands, solicits, organises and collects bribes; who extorts, defrauds and swindles political aspirants of their money; and who, in concert with others, is engaged in criminal conspiracy and is actively perpetuating criminality”.
