By Vivian Okejeme
The legal wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has threatened to petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), against former actor and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo.
They accused him of conducts unbecoming of a lawyer, following what it described as repeated and malicious attacks on the party’s 2027, presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The threat, issued by the NDC Legal Advocates for Ethics under the leadership of Dr. Maxwell Opara, came as Mr. Obi himself moved to file a N5 billion defamation lawsuit against Mr. Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Recall that Mr. Okonkwo, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, alleged that Mr. Obi and the South-east caucus of the NDC demanded N10 million bribes from House of Representatives aspirants in exchange for automatic tickets.
Specifically, Mr. Okonkwo cited a message and payment receipt allegedly sent to him by one Obunike Ohaegbu, an NDC House of Representatives aspirant for the Nnewi North-South and Ekwusigo Constituency in Anambra State, claiming the aspirant was defrauded after paying the sum.
He further alleged that Mr. Obi, rather than supervising credible primary elections, lodged at Johnwood Hotel in Abuja and personally compiled a list of preferred candidates for submission to the party.
He declared that anyone voting for the NDC was endorsing criminality.
In a pre-action letter signed by his Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Alex Ejesieme, Mr. Obi rejected the allegations as false and defamatory, demanding their immediate withdrawal and a public apology to be published on Channels Television and across all of Mr. Okonkwo’s social media platforms within seven days.
He also demanded the payment of N5 billion in general, aggravated, and exemplary damages for injury to his reputation.
The NDC Lawyers Group followed with its own ultimatum, giving Mr. Okonkwo 48 hours to retract the allegations and tender an unreserved public apology.
“Instead of selling the policies and vision of his own party and candidate to Nigerians, Mr. Okonkwo has made it his preoccupation to malign Mr. Peter Obi,” the group stated.
“Those allegations are false. We challenge him to bring evidence or retract and apologise. Otherwise, his conduct will be reported to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.”
The group further warned Mr. Okonkwo against “hiding under the cover of Igbo ethnic nationality as a shield for reckless and baseless political attacks,” insisting that the Igbo people and Nigerians generally deserved better than to be exploited as cover for what it termed political rascality.
“The NDC Lawyers Group will not watch idly while the reputation of our Presidential Candidate is assaulted for cheap political gain. Failure to comply will leave us with no option but to activate all lawful and legal remedies available,” the statement concluded.
