Photo: A collage of Kenneth Okonkwo, and Peter Obi

Actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has reacted to the N5 billion defamation suit reportedly being prepared against him by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, describing the move as unwise and challenging Obi to proceed with the court action.

Okonkwo, a former spokesperson for Obi during the 2023 presidential election campaign made his position known in a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday.

Okonkwo’s reaction followed reports that Obi had threatened legal action against him over alleged defamatory comments, with a demand for N5 billion in damages.

Responding to the development, Okonkwo said he had been informed of a letter allegedly sent by Obi and his lawyers but had yet to read it.

“It has been brought to my notice that there is a letter circulating online from Peter Obi, and his Lawyers that I should pay him N5 billion ; Hahaha!” he wrote.

“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.”

The former Labour Party chieftain claimed that he personally incurred expenses while serving as Obi’s spokesperson during the 2023 election campaign.

“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 said.

The former campaign spokesman maintained that he would respond formally after reviewing the letter, while urging Obi and his legal team to proceed with the case.“It will be a shame to Peter Obi and his Lawyers if they do not take this case to court. I don’t have time or patience for scammers,” he said.

•Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has proposed a six-year single term for the President and governors to enable them to put in their best from the moment they are voted in after 2027 elections.

In South Africa ,the Constitution limits the president’s time in office to two five-year terms.

Speaking to journalists during an interactive session ahead of the 3rd anniversary of the 10th Senate, in Abuja, Bamidele said: “I now see why one of the first sets of bills that I look forward to moving by God’s grace when we come back for the 11th Senate is for a bill that will only make it possible for anyone who wants to be President of this country or governor in any state of this country to spend only one tenure of six years.

“With this, you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected. If you know you are there for six years, only one tenure, you put in your best from day one. You know this is the only chance that you have.”

The Senate Leader also strongly defended the 10th Senate against allegations that it functioned as a rubber-stamp legislature, insisting that the upper chamber deliberately adopted a strategy of constructive engagement with the executive to address Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges rather than pursuing public confrontations.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Gregory Obi, has demanded N5 billion in damages and a public apology from actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo over alleged defamatory statements made during a television appearance.

In a letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi’s lawyers, led by Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused Okonkwo of making false, malicious and defamatory allegations against their client during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday, June 8.

The legal team said that the remarks were subsequently published and circulated by several media organisations and online platforms.

According to the letter, Okonkwo allegedly claimed that “Obi, together with the leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the South-East, informed the party’s aspirants that any person seeking to contest as a member of the House of Representatives must, after paying the prescribed expression of interest fee, pay a bribe of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) to the NDC and to the Caucus leaders.”

The lawyers also alleged that Okonkwo claimed there was documentary evidence of the payments, that Obi personally compiled the party’s list of candidates from a hotel room, warned aspirants that Obi would “scam” them, collected money from people abroad and was involved in criminal activities alongside other party leaders.

The letter stated that the allegations portrayed Obi as a person engaged in bribery, extortion, fraud, financial dishonesty and criminal conduct.