Former Imo State Governor and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has demanded N5 billion in damages from lawyer and politician over alleged defamatory remarks made during a recent television interview.
The demand was conveyed in a letter dated June 11, 2026, issued by Chief Soronnadi A. Njoku, SAN & Co., legal representatives to Udenwa. The letter accused Okonkwo of making false, malicious, and damaging allegations against the former governor during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme aired on June 8, 2026.
According to the legal correspondence, Okonkwo allegedly claimed during the programme that Chief Udenwa, alongside other South-East political leaders, was involved in the extortion of aspirants within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The lawyers specifically referenced a statement attributed to Okonkwo in which he allegedly said that “Achike Udenwa, Peter Obi and other leaders of the South-East caucus were busy extorting South-East aspirants.”
Udenwa’s legal team described the allegation as false, malicious, defamatory, and injurious to the reputation of their client. They maintained that throughout his years in public service, the former governor had never been convicted of, or accused of engaging in, corruption, extortion, embezzlement, or any related criminal conduct.
According to the letter, the statement portrayed Udenwa as a public official who abused his office for personal financial gain, thereby exposing him to public ridicule and lowering his standing among members of the public both within and outside Nigeria.
The legal representatives further argued that the alleged damage to Udenwa’s reputation was amplified by the widespread circulation of the remarks across several media organisations and online platforms following the television broadcast.
As part of the demands, Udenwa’s lawyers requested that Okonkwo publish a strongly worded apology in five national newspapers and ensure that the apology is broadcast during prime time on Channels Television within seven days.
They also demanded a formal retraction of the statements and a written undertaking that no further defamatory comments would be made against the former governor.
In addition to the apology and retraction, the legal team is seeking N5 billion as compensation for the alleged harm caused by the publication.
The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated period would result in legal action before the appropriate court, where damages and injunctive reliefs would be sought.
The latest development comes only days after reports emerged that former Labour Party presidential candidate, , had also reportedly issued a separate legal demand to Kenneth Okonkwo over comments made during the same television appearance.
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