A significant legal battle has erupted between prominent political figures Peter Obi and Kenneth Okonkwo, following explosive bribery allegations made by Okonkwo against Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Peter Obi, through his legal team, has issued a pre-action notice demanding N5 billion in damages and a public apology from Okonkwo, threatening further legal action if these demands are not met within seven days.

The controversy ignited when Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former spokesperson for Obi's 2023 presidential campaign, alleged on Channels Television's "Sunrise Daily" that Obi and other NDC leaders in the South-East extorted money from aspirants seeking party tickets. Okonkwo claimed that House of Representatives aspirants were asked to pay N10 million and senatorial aspirants N20 million to secure their tickets. He further alleged that an aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu, provided him with evidence, including WhatsApp chats, to support these claims, and suggested that Obi was personally involved in coordinating the process and compiling candidate lists from a hotel. Okonkwo also warned that voting for the NDC and Obi meant voting for criminality, and that the party was engaged in criminal extortion of aspirants.

However, Peter Obi's legal team, led by Alex Ejesieme (SAN), has vehemently denied these allegations, labeling them as "false, baseless, malicious, reckless, defamatory, and wholly unsupported by any fact." In a letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi's lawyers stated that Okonkwo's remarks falsely and maliciously portray Obi as a bribe collector, fraudster, scammer, and a dishonest political actor engaged in criminal conspiracy. They emphasized that these imputations are grave and damaging to Obi's character, integrity, reputation, and public standing.

Adding another layer to the dispute, Obunike Ohaegbu, the aspirant mentioned by Okonkwo, has reportedly denied making the specific claims attributed to him, particularly regarding Peter Obi's direct involvement in demanding payments. Ohaegbu clarified that payments he made were directed to the NDC's bank account following instructions from the party's national secretary, and not from Obi directly. He also denied accusing the NDC South-East caucus of bribery or stating that Obi compiled candidate lists from a hotel.

Despite Obi's legal threat, Kenneth Okonkwo has not backed down. He has shared alleged WhatsApp conversations on social media to support his claims and has dismissed Obi's N5 billion demand with sarcasm, accusing Obi of attempting extortion. Okonkwo insists he has a duty as a lawyer and citizen to report wrongdoing and has stated his readiness to defend his statements in court.

The legal demand from Obi's team includes an immediate withdrawal of the defamatory statements, a public apology on Channels Television and all social media platforms, and the payment of N5 billion in damages. Failure to comply within the stipulated seven days will result in legal proceedings.

The unfolding legal and political drama has generated significant attention, with supporters of both figures actively debating the allegations and counter-allegations on social media.