An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has granted the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, leave to serve court processes on actor, lawyer and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, by substituted means in a defamation suit filed against him.
The court granted the application after Obi’s legal team informed it that attempts to personally serve Okonkwo with the originating processes had not been successful.
By the order of the court, the processes may be served by pasting them at Okonkwo’s last known address in Nsukka, Enugu State, or by delivering them to any adult found at the residence.
The order allows the suit to move forward once substituted service has been effected in accordance with the court’s directive.
The case stems from alleged defamatory statements made by Okonkwo against Obi in connection with the activities of the NDC and the emergence of candidates for National Assembly seats in the South-East.
Okonkwo had alleged that Obi and some leaders of the NDC in the South-East demanded additional payments from aspirants seeking the party’s National Assembly tickets.
He reportedly claimed that aspirants who had already paid the official expression of interest fees were asked to pay extra sums, including ₦10 million from House of Representatives aspirants, as a condition for securing tickets.
Okonkwo also allegedly claimed that documentary evidence, including receipts, existed to support the allegations.
He further alleged that Obi personally compiled the party’s candidate lists from a hotel room in Abuja and made other claims which Obi’s legal team described as imputations of dishonesty, fraud, extortion, bribery and criminal conduct.
Following the allegations, Obi’s lawyers, led by Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, issued a pre-action letter to Okonkwo, demanding an immediate retraction of the statements, a public apology and payment of damages.
The legal team described the allegations as false, malicious, reckless and defamatory, insisting that the comments went beyond political criticism and were capable of damaging Obi’s reputation, character, integrity, public image and political standing.
In the pre-action demand, Obi’s lawyers asked Okonkwo to retract the statements, publish an apology on Channels Television and his social media platforms, pay ₦5 billion in damages and give a written undertaking not to repeat similar allegations.
After the expiration of the ultimatum, Obi proceeded to file the defamation suit at the Onitsha Judicial Division of the Anambra State High Court.
In the suit, Obi is asking the court to award damages against Okonkwo over the alleged defamatory publications.
Reports on the writ indicate that Obi is seeking ₦5 billion as general damages for alleged injury to his reputation, ₦2 billion as aggravated damages over the manner and repetition of the alleged publications, and ₦1 billion as exemplary damages.
He is also seeking an order compelling Okonkwo to publish a full, unreserved and unequivocal retraction and apology on Channels Television, Channels TV’s YouTube channel, Okonkwo’s social media platforms and in national newspapers.
Obi is further asking the court to direct that the apology be prominently displayed and, where possible, pinned on Okonkwo’s social media accounts.
He also wants the court to order Okonkwo to delete all allegedly defamatory posts, comments, interviews and videos from platforms under his control.
In addition, Obi is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Okonkwo from repeating allegations of bribery, fraud, scam, theft, extortion or criminal conduct against him.
Okonkwo, who served as one of Obi’s spokespersons during the 2023 presidential election campaign, had rejected the earlier demand for retraction and apology.
He insisted that he stood by his statements and challenged Obi to proceed to court.
The dispute marks a sharp deterioration in the relationship between the two former political allies, who worked together during Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign under the Labour Party.
With the order for substituted service now granted, the case is expected to proceed after the court processes are served in the manner directed by the court.
The substantive issues in the suit have not yet been determined, and Okonkwo will have the opportunity to respond to the claims before the court.
