By Our reporter 14.6.2026
Nollywood actor turned politician Kenneth Okonkwo is being threatened with another defamation a lawsuit by former Imo State governor, Achike Udenwa.
Udenwa said he has been defamed by Okonkwo who is a mouthpiece of the African Democratic Party during a television interview where Okonkwo claimed that he Udenwa collected money from aspirants looking for tickets on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Udenwa urged Okonkwo to tender a public apology and also demanded N5 billion in damages. This demand was contained in a letter sent to Mr. Okonkwo by Udenwa’s lawyer, Chief Soronnadi Njoku (SAN).
“Most regrettably, your defamatory statement against Mr Achike Udenwa, accusing him of illegally securing money from aspirants by compulsion and violence, or wrongly and illegally obtaining money from those aspirants by compulsion or violence, which statement you made during a live television programme broadcast both nationally and internationally, and which statement was subsequently published by numerous media houses and several online platforms, has greatly injured our client in his credit and reputation and portrayed him as a common criminal who abuses his position for personal monetary gains,” the letter stated.
Okonkwo had, in an interview on Channels TV on June 8, 2026, allegedly linked the former governor to alleged extortion of aspirants seeking elective positions under Nigerian Democratic Party.
He said, “This is why the NDC 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”.
NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi had also demanded a public apology and N5 billion damages from Mr. Okonkwo.