Posted by Chinenye on Fri 31st Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
A political dispute has escalated after Kenneth Okonkwo responded strongly to Peter Obi’s legal action against him.
(Kenneth Okonkwo, Peter Obi. Photo Credit: Daily Post)
Kenneth Okonkwo, an African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, stated on Friday that Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi is a compulsive liar who is committed to destroy every rising star from the South East.
Okonkwo was reacting to Obi's slander lawsuit against him.
Speaking on a television programme, Okonkwo insisted that Obi has shown little knowledge and depth of the law, stressing that his legal team should better educate him on the issue of defamation.
He maintained that he never defamed Obi, adding that his remarks are already in the public domain and can be verified by anyone.
He described Obi as a classless and non-charismatic politician with little knowledge and no depth, pointing to what he called a lie Obi had just told.
He argued that Obi's position was legally illogical, explaining that a defamation suit is brought against someone over something they have already said which the claimant alleges has injured their reputation, yet Obi claimed he wanted to sue him for something he only intended to say, insisting Obi had already commenced the suit before he made his own remarks.
He said that when dealing with someone like Obi, it is wise to put everything in writing, stating that what he posted on his social media handle was that it would be unwise for Obi to sue his spokesperson, since in defending himself the spokesperson might divulge confidential information, adding that he never said whether such disclosure would destroy Obi or not.
He explained that his comment was made in response to the fact that Obi had already begun the suit, noting that defamation cases commence with a pre-action notice informing the other party that they have been defamed.
The N5 billion claim originated from that pre-action notice rather than from any court filing, with the court process merely being used to pursue what had already been demanded.
He said it was troubling to see a man aspiring to the presidency lying both legally and factually, reiterating that a defamation suit relates to something already said, not something merely intended, which is why he considered Obi's claim false.
He questioned why, if Obi had truly gone to court, he did not simply state that the suit was over something he intended to say.
He further claimed that Obi has consistently tried to suppress rising political stars from the Southeast, citing that activist Omoyele Sowore had called Obi a packaged fraud without being sued.
Okonkwo also backed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over his remark that Obi lies as naturally as a fish drinks water, noting that Obi had not sued the minister either.
He recalled that when another individual, Arabambi, made comments about Obi, Obi reportedly did not sue him because he considered him faceless, whereas the Minister of Aviation had openly called Obi a compulsive liar.
A description Okonkwo said he personally agreed with, given that Obi had lied about him publicly and displayed limited legal knowledge, adding that his lawyers should do more to educate him.