By Amah
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Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has defended his decision to sue former ally and campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, declaring that he is eager to have all allegations against him proved openly in court.
Speaking during a podcast interview with broadcaster Rufai Oseni, Obi said the defamation suit became necessary after Okonkwo claimed he possessed additional information that could further implicate him.
According to Obi, public scrutiny is essential for anyone aspiring to lead Nigeria, and he welcomed the opportunity for all accusations against him to be examined before the courts.
“The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court would not have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still had more to expose about me. I am happy for him to come to court and expose everything publicly so Nigerians can hear it,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State Governor maintained that anyone with credible evidence of wrongdoing against him should present it publicly, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford leaders whose records remain clouded by unresolved allegations.
The legal battle follows a dramatic fallout between Obi and Okonkwo, once close political allies during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Okonkwo had accused Obi and some South-east leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, of demanding N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants in addition to official nomination fees
He further alleged that Obi personally influenced candidate selections and engaged in questionable financial dealings within the party.
Obi’s legal team, led by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN), dismissed the claims as false, malicious, reckless and defamatory, demanding a retraction, public apology and compensation.
Despite the suit, Okonkwo subsequently released a series of WhatsApp messages, which he claimed supported his allegations.
However, the man he claimed had exchanged the messages with him has denied doing so.
Obi also used the interview to respond to separate allegations by Labour Party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, who accused him of mismanaging campaign donations during the 2023 election.
Rejecting the claims outright, Obi challenged Arabambi to provide evidence of missing funds.
“If the so-called Arabambi can produce evidence from any account, showing that even one percent of what he alleged is missing, I will stop campaigning for the 2027 election. In fact, I may add him to the lawsuit so he can come to court and provide the evidence,” Obi said.
The NDC flag bearer for the 2027 presidential election further dismissed reports of deep divisions within the party, describing disagreements within the movement as normal organisational issues that had largely been resolved.
As tensions continue to rise between Obi and his former associates, the unfolding legal battle is expected to draw significant public attention, with many observers viewing it as a major test of accountability, transparency and political credibility ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
