By Njenje Media News
June 13, 2026
OWERRI –
Former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, has threatened legal action against actor-turned-politician, Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, demanding ₦5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory comments made during a live television interview, days after former presidential candidate Peter Obi reportedly made a similar legal move against the outspoken politician.
In a strongly-worded letter dated June 11, 2026, obtained by Njenje Media News, Chief Udenwa, through his lawyer, Chief Soronnadi A. Njoku, SAN, issued Okonkwo a seven-day ultimatum to retract the statements, apologize publicly, and pay compensation for what was described as a “false and malicious” publication.
The controversy stems from comments allegedly made by Okonkwo during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8, 2026, where he claimed that certain South-East political leaders were involved in extorting aspirants.
According to the legal letter, Okonkwo stated:
“That is why the NDC has released a statement that it’s only the South East caucus of the party that was involved in such problems. Oyema Ugochukwu, Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of South East caucus were busy extorting the South East aspirants.”
Chief Udenwa’s legal team argued that the use of the words “extort” and “extorting” amounted to serious criminal allegations capable of damaging the former governor’s hard-earned reputation.
The SAN emphasized that Udenwa served meritoriously as Governor of Imo State for two terms and later as a Minister of the Federal Republic, maintaining what the letter described as an unblemished public service record.
“Throughout his many years in public service, he has never been accused of corruption or any criminal conduct whatsoever,” the letter stated.
Njenje Media News gathered that the former governor is demanding that Kenneth Okonkwo:
- Publish a formal apology,
- Retract the allegations in unmistakable terms,
- Publish the apology in five national newspapers,
- Air the apology on Channels Television during prime time,
- Undertake never to repeat such allegations, and
- Pay ₦5 billion as compensation.
The legal threat from Udenwa comes shortly after Peter Obi was also reported to have slammed Okonkwo with a separate ₦5 billion defamation demand over related comments.
Lawyers to Chief Udenwa warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in immediate legal action before the appropriate High Court in Imo State.
The development has further intensified tensions within opposition political circles, with analysts suggesting the controversy could spiral into a prolonged legal and political showdown.
As of press time, Kenneth Okonkwo had not publicly responded to the latest legal threat.
Njenje Media News will continue to follow the story and provide updates as more details emerge.
