The South East Progressives Forum (SEPF) has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over his decision to file a N5 billion defamation lawsuit against his former spokesman and ally, Kenneth Okonkwo.
In a statement signed by the head of its media unit, Paul Anigbogu, on Monday, the group accused the former Anambra State governor of attempting to intimidate and silence Okonkwo after he left Obi’s political camp to support another presidential candidate.
Politcs Nigeria recall that Obi’s lawyers, led by Alex Ejesieme, SAN, had issued a pre-action notice to Okonkwo on June 9, 2026, accusing him of making malicious and defamatory statements against the NDC presidential candidate.
The legal team alleged that Okonkwo’s comments damaged Obi’s reputation and threatened to institute a N5 billion defamation lawsuit if he failed to withdraw his statements, pay N5 billion compensation, and tender a public apology within seven days.
In response, Okonkwo, through his lawyers, refused to retract his comments, insisting that he acted on information from NDC aspirants who were allegedly defrauded and extorted by the NDC caucus led by Obi.
Reacting to the development, SEPF condemned Obi, accusing him of portraying himself as a democrat while being intolerant of criticism.
The group argued that the lawsuit threat reflects Obi’s “phobia for criticism” and what it described as a deep disregard for democratic values, particularly freedom of expression.
SEPF also alleged that Obi has a history of legal threats against critics, including media organisations.
Parts of the statement read, “In April 2023, he issued instructions to his lawyers against a media house over leaked audio recording of his phone call with Bishop David Oyedepo. This was not the only time that he did so.
“In 2025, he also threatened and subsequently pursued a N1.5 billion lawsuit against lawyer/ activist, Deji Adeyanju, alleging that Deji used his social media platforms to publish false, baseless, unfounded, malicious, reckless and scandalous comments against him.
“Obi has thin-skin for criticism. He criticizes others, but does not want to be criticized. What sort of democrat is that? He is simply a demagogue. He wants to gain power by appealing to people’s emotions, prejudices and fears, rather than by using rational arguments or factual evidence.
“Kenneth Okonkwo did not just speak, people briefed him. Nigerians are not blind. Nigerians witnessed the transactional primary elections conducted by NDC across the country, particularly in the South East. The NDC tickets were for the highest bidder. The news is all over the media. Obi thinks that he can make Kenneth Okonkwo the scapegoat, but we will not tolerate that.”
The Forum warned Obi to leave Okonkwo alone or risk further revelations about what it described as his “autocratic antecedents” during his eight-year tenure as governor of Anambra State.
“We will say everything, including how he stifled grassroots democracy by refusing to conduct local government election and ran the councils with his cronies as caretaker committees until three months to his exit from office,” SEPF stated.
