Arise TV’s Rufai Criticizes Peter Obi’s Lawsuit Against Kenneth Okonkwo, Explaining Why

Arise News anchor Rufai Oseni criticized the lawsuit filed by Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s legal team against African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo.

Obi had taken Okonkwo to court over accusations that the actor‑turned‑politician had defamed him on national television following the NDC primary elections in the South East.

Okonkwo, in a recent interview, alleged that Obi and other regional NDC leaders had accepted bribes from aspirants seeking House of Representatives and senatorial seats. Obi’s camp rejected the claim, prompting a defamation suit and a seven‑day ultimatum for Okonkwo to retract the allegations.

During the Arise TV morning show, Rufai described Okonkwo as a “political surrogate” and urged Obi not to pursue the case further. He argued that the lawsuit had amplified the allegations, noting that Okonkwo’s statements had not attracted attention until Obi sued him.

“If I’m to advise Mr Peter Obi, I would ask him to remove that case from the court,” Rufai said. “He doesn’t need it. I can bet you that a lot of people did not even hear when Kenneth Okonkwo said it. It became news when Peter Obi sued him. You just gave media traction to this guy; allow him to talk as he wants. The best you can do is to refute it. It is not everything you react to.”