Kenneth Okonkwo in trouble again as Udenwa slams N5b suit on him for defamation
By Everest Ezihe, Owerri
This may not be the best of time for, Mr.Kenneth Okonkwo a popular Nigerian actor, lawyer and politician as former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, has instituted a defamation suit against him before the High Court of Imo State, Owerri Judicial Division, over remarks allegedly made during a live television interview.
Recall that Mr. Peter Obi, the 2027 Presidential candidate of Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC has earlier last month slammed a total of N8b damages claim in his equally alleged defamation lawsuit against Okonkwo who’s a chieftain of African Democratic Party, ADC and his spokesperson in 2023 as the then presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP.
The suit, No. HOW/493/2026, filed on July 24, 2026, seeks substantial damages, a perpetual injunction, and other reliefs arising from statements allegedly made by Okonkwo during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8, 2026.
According to the court documents, Udenwa contends that Okonkwo falsely accused him and other South-East political leaders of extorting aspirants within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The former governor insists that the allegations are false, malicious, and have caused significant injury to his personality and reputation.
In his Statement of Claim, Udenwa categorically denied ever extorting any aspirant or unlawfully collecting money from any member of the party or any individual.
He maintained that throughout his years in public service, he has upheld clean records and has never before been accused of such conduct.
The plaintiff also emphasized the extensive reach of Channels Television, arguing that the alleged defamatory statements were broadcast to millions of viewers across Nigeria and beyond, thereby amplifying the reputational damages.
The submitted court documents stated that Udenwa personally watched the June 8 broadcast during which Okonkwo allegedly said that “Onyema Ugochukwu, Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of the South-East caucus were busy extorting South-East aspirants.”
The plaintiff argues that he was clearly identified by name and that the South-East Caucus of the party is merely an informal gathering of party leaders with no constitutional authority or authorities to nominate candidates or collect money from aspirants.
The suit seeks ₦5 billion in general damages, a perpetual injunction restraining Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo from making or republishing similar statements, a public retraction and apology, and the cost of prosecuting the action in court.
As part of the legal process, the High Court has issued a Writ of Summons directing Okonkwo as the defendant to enter an appearance within 42 days after service or risk judgment being entered in his absence.
In a statement of claims,Counsel to the plaintiff, Barr. Soronnadi Njoku, SAN, said the action was instituted to protect his client’s hard-earned reputation and to seek judicial redress over what he described as serious and unfounded allegations against his client.
According to the Counsel , the law does not permit individuals to make damaging allegations against another person’s character without credible evidence.
Njoku maintained that the suit seeks appropriate remedies from the court, including damages, a public retraction, an apology, and injunctive relief to prevent any further publication of the disputed statements.
The legal icon further pointed out that his client has consistently denied the allegations and expressed confidence that the court would carefully examine the evidences presented by both parties before reaching its decision.
At the time of filing this report, Kenneth Okonkwo had not publicly responded within the competent court of law proceedings as referenced in the filed documents, and the allegations obviously remain subject to judicial determination.
