Ex-Imo gov Udenwa sues Kenneth Okonkwo for N5bn over alleged defamation

Former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, has filed a N5 billion defamation suit against lawyer, politician and Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, at the High Court of Imo State, Owerri Judicial Division.

The suit, dated July 24, 2026, with Suit No. HOW/ /2026, was served on Okonkwo outside the court’s jurisdiction at Ofuluonu, Nsukka, Enugu State.

According to court documents, the suit stems from comments allegedly made by Okonkwo during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8, 2026.

During the programme, Okonkwo was quoted as saying: “That is why the NDC has released a statement that it is only the South East caucus of the party that was involved in such problems. Onyema Ugochukwu, Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of the South East caucus were busy extorting the South East aspirants.”

Udenwa alleged that the remarks were broadcast live, later uploaded to Channels Television’s YouTube channel under the title “Kenneth Okonkwo Criticizes Peter Obi, Condemns NDC Primaries,” and subsequently shared on Okonkwo’s verified X account, Facebook and other social media platforms.

In his statement of claim, Udenwa, a chartered accountant and former governor of Imo State from 1999 to 2007, who also served as Minister of Commerce and Industry between 2008 and 2010, denied ever extorting any aspirant.

He maintained that he is currently a member of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) but holds no executive position in the party. He also stated that he played no role in the party’s 2027 candidate nomination process.

The former governor further claimed that he had never met with Onyema Ugochukwu or Peter Obi to extort any South-East aspirant and had never been investigated or charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), or any other investigative agency over fraud or financial misconduct.

Udenwa argued that the alleged statements caused serious damage to his reputation and political standing, adding that he received numerous calls from associates seeking clarification over the allegations.

He is asking the court to declare the statements false, malicious, baseless and defamatory.

The plaintiff is also seeking N5 billion in general damages for alleged injury to his reputation, character, integrity and political standing.

In addition, Udenwa is requesting an order compelling Okonkwo to publish a full retraction and apology on Channels Television, its YouTube channel, and on his X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts, as well as in three national daily newspapers within 30 days.

He also wants the court to order the deletion of all related posts, videos and publications, issue a perpetual injunction restraining Okonkwo from making similar allegations in the future, and award N25 million as legal fees, in addition to the cost of the suit.

According to the court documents, Udenwa’s legal counsel, Chief Soronnadi Njoku (SAN) & Co., stated that Okonkwo has 42 days from the date of service to enter an appearance, failing which judgment may be entered in his absence.