Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential campaign under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has stated that he has not yet received any court documents relating to the N8 billion defamation suit filed against him by Labour Party-turned-NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Okonkwo made this disclosure during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today on Thursday, where he addressed questions about the ongoing legal dispute.
Okonkwo Learns of Suit Through Social Media
“I always hear whatever they are doing from social media because they are just presidential candidate social media uncouth followers. So, I heard it on social media, and I am sure whenever I receive it, I’d let you know,” he said.
When asked about reports that a court had granted Obi’s legal team permission to serve him through substituted means following failed attempts at personal service, Okonkwo rejected the premise of the application.
Okonkwo Challenges Substituted Service Claims
“That’s the whole falsehood about this because when you claim substituted service, you will have to go into an affidavit to say you have tried to serve the person personally and you did not get the person,” he said.
The lawyer acknowledged receiving a pre-action notice on his phone prior to the suit being filed, and said he responded to it despite having grounds to object to the mode of delivery. However, he maintained that no originating court processes had reached him from the court itself.
“All along the pre-action, they put it on social media before they served me on my phone. Even though I could have objected to the mode of service, I accepted it and replied. But from the court, I have not received anything,” he said.
Okonkwo Dismisses Suit as Attempt to Gag Him
Okonkwo also dismissed the suit as a targeted effort to suppress his voice, saying he has operated as a public affairs analyst since 2009 and stands by every statement he has made.
“There is no battle at all, and this is just a joke. I told people that this is a calculated attempt to gag me, intimidate me, and harass me. I have been a public affairs analyst since 2009. I stand by everything that I said,” he said.
What Triggered the N8bn Lawsuit?
The legal action stems from comments Okonkwo made during a live television interview in which he alleged that Obi and certain NDC leaders collected N10 million from aspirants who sought National Assembly tickets during the party’s candidate selection process, and that the exercise was manipulated.
Obi’s legal team subsequently filed the defamation suit at the Anambra State High Court, Onitsha Judicial Division. The claim seeks N8 billion in general damages, a public retraction of Okonkwo’s statements, and a perpetual injunction barring him from repeating the allegations. Court filings indicate that Obi’s lawyers obtained leave to serve the originating processes by substituted means after personal service was reportedly unsuccessful.
