Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Peter Obi, has secured court approval to serve legal documents on actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo through substituted means in his N5 billion defamation suit.
The order was granted by an Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha after the court was informed that attempts to personally serve Okonkwo with the legal documents had failed.
Justice D.A. Onyefulu gave the ruling on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following an ex parte application filed by Obi in Suit No. O/229/2026.
The court approved that the writ of summons, alongside all accompanying and subsequent court processes, be served by pasting them at Okonkwo’s last known residential address at NPR 48 Ofuluonu, Nsukka, Enugu State, near Ijeoma Fishing Company.
The court also ruled that the documents may be delivered to any adult found at the residence.
Justice Onyefulu further directed that the service process must be photographed and filed before the court as proof that the order was fully complied with.
The court ordered that the substituted service must be completed within seven days.
The ruling followed an application brought under Sections 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and relevant provisions of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019.
Court records showed that Chisom Ibemesi appeared for Obi during the proceedings.
The legal dispute between both former allies began after Obi filed a N5 billion defamation suit against Okonkwo over statements allegedly made during a television interview.
Obi, through his legal team led by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co., accused Okonkwo of making damaging allegations capable of harming his reputation and public standing.
In a legal letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi demanded an immediate retraction of the statements, a public apology, and a written commitment to stop further publication of the claims.
The dispute stems from comments allegedly made by Okonkwo during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on June 8.
According to Obi’s lawyers, Okonkwo alleged that Obi and leaders of the NDC in the South-East collected N10 million from House of Representatives aspirants after the aspirants had already paid official party fees.
Okonkwo was also said to have claimed that receipts existed to support the allegation.
Obi’s legal team further accused him of making additional remarks suggesting that Obi personally prepared the party’s candidate list from a hotel room and warned aspirants that Obi would “scam” them.
The lawyers also cited claims suggesting Obi travelled abroad to collect money and engaged in criminal activities with some party leaders.
Obi’s legal team described the statements as “false, baseless, malicious, reckless and wholly unsupported by any fact.”
The lawyers insisted that the statements portrayed Obi as corrupt and dishonest, exposing him to public ridicule and reputational damage.
They maintained that freedom of expression does not permit false accusations, especially allegations involving criminal conduct.
As part of the relief sought, Obi is demanding an “unequivocal and unreserved” public apology to be published through the same channels where the statements were allegedly circulated.
The legal team also requested that the apology be aired on Channels Television and published across Okonkwo’s social media platforms.
In addition to the apology, Obi is seeking N5 billion as general, aggravated, and exemplary damages.
However, Okonkwo has rejected the allegations.
In a response dated June 16, 2026, through Supreme God Chambers and signed by V.I. Uma Esq, Okonkwo denied defaming Obi.
He maintained that his comments were based on complaints and information provided by aggrieved aspirants who accused the NDC and Obi of conducting a fraudulent primary process.
Okonkwo’s legal team described Obi’s lawsuit as “calculated to distract and cow” him from what they described as his legitimate duty to expose wrongdoing.
The former spokesperson for Obi and his 2023 running mate campaign with Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed also raised concerns over privacy.
His lawyers alleged that Obi’s camp circulated his personal phone number in the defamation letter published online.
According to the letter, the publication allegedly exposed him to threats and attacks from Obi’s supporters.
The lawyers claimed supporters used the information to “track and target him for physical and psychological abuse, assault and eventually murder him.”
Responding to the specific allegation tied to his television appearance, Okonkwo maintained that he merely repeated complaints brought to him by one Obunike Ohaegbu, also known as Nwa Miss.
He said the complainant approached him for help in recovering N10 million allegedly paid to the NDC.
