“I Will Not Apologise”, Okonkwo Dares Peter Obi

The stage appears set for a legal showdown ,as Nollywood actor-turned politician Kenneth Okonkwo has rejected Nigeria  Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate Peter Obi’s demand for an apology over a perceived defamatory publication.

Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, had, on June 9, 2026, through his legal representative, Alex Ejesieme,  SAN, in a pre-action notice demanded a retraction of Okonkwo’s Channels Television Interview, a public apology published in at least five national dailies, as well as the payment of damages to the tune of N5 billion.

Okonkwo had in the said interview alleged the extortion of aspirants by Obi and other South East leaders  of the NDC during the party’s primaries .

Obi, in the pre-action notice, warned that he will not hesitate to initiate legal actions should Okonkwo fail to retract the said offensive interview within the dateline issued.

But in a  reply issued through his team dated June 16,2026, Okonkwo, maintained that he will neither retract, nor apologise, insisting that his comments were derived from facts made available to him by victims, including Obunike Ohaegbu, his client.

Okonkwo in his letter, while denying defaming Obi, said he stands by all his comments in the said Channels Television Interview.

“The kernel of your letter is that our client defamed your client through the interview on Channels Television on 8June 2026 .

“Our client denies that he defamed your client in any manner whatsoever, and expressly asserts that his position on the issues he expressed reflects the true position of the matters so reflected”, Okonkwo’s legal team stated.

Okonkwo, who is also a legal practitioner,  claimed that his comments were derived from a client, Ohaegbu who wanted him to assist in recovering the N10 million he paid to the NDC during its primaries.

According to him, his client Ohaegbu, believed that he had already secured the party’s ticket after the payment, but was shocked when he was later asked to participate in direct primaries.