Veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has reacted to reports that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, is demanding N5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory remarks.
In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, Okonkwo dismissed the reported legal demand and suggested that Obi was seeking funds for political campaigns.
“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 N5b. Hahaha!” Okonkwo said.
The former spokesperson for Obi’s presidential campaign further claimed that if the former Anambra State governor needed money for political activities, he should approach him privately rather than pursue what he described as extortion.
“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. I did so when I was his Spokesperson paying for my flight tickets and booking for my hotel accommodation to some of our campaigns,” he added.
Okonkwo alleged that he personally funded some expenses during his time as Obi’s campaign spokesperson, including transportation and accommodation costs for campaign engagements.
The actor-turned-politician also disclosed that he had yet to read the reported demand letter but warned that any legal action could lead to the disclosure of information he obtained while serving in Obi’s campaign team.
According to him, he had deliberately refrained from revealing confidential information out of principle but indicated that such restraint might no longer apply if the dispute ends up in court.
Okonkwo challenged Obi and his legal team to proceed with the matter, maintaining that he would respond appropriately after reviewing the contents of the letter.
He stated that a formal response to the demand would be issued once he had read and assessed the document.
