Veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has reacted to reports that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, is demanding N5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory remarks made against him.
In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Okonkwo dismissed the reported legal demand and suggested that Obi was merely seeking funds for political activities.
The former spokesperson for Obi’s presidential campaign said that if the former Anambra State governor needed financial support for his political ambitions, he should approach him directly rather than pursue what he described as an attempt at extortion.
“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. I did so when I was his spokesperson, paying for my flight tickets and booking my hotel accommodation to some of our campaigns,” Okonkwo stated.
He further alleged that he personally financed certain expenses during his time as Obi’s campaign spokesman, including transportation and accommodation costs for campaign-related activities.
Okonkwo said he had yet to read the alleged demand letter but warned that any legal proceedings could lead to the disclosure of information he obtained while serving in Obi’s campaign team.
According to him, he had chosen not to reveal confidential information out of principle, but indicated that such restraint could change should the dispute proceed to court.
The actor-turned-politician also challenged Obi and his legal team to pursue the matter, maintaining that he was prepared to respond appropriately after reviewing the contents of the letter.
He added that a formal response would be issued once he had fully examined the alleged legal demand.
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