Former Imo Governor Achike Udenwa seeks N5 billion in damages from Kenneth Okonkwo over defamation claims.

By Chidi Nkwopara
Former Imo State governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, has demanded N5 billion from African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo over alleged defamatory remarks made by Okonkwo on a national television programme.

Udenwa’s demand was set out in a three‑page letter, CSAN/GC/26/25, dated 11 June 2026. The letter was addressed to Okonkwo and signed by Udenwa’s lawyer, Chief Soronnadi A. Njoku, SAN.

Excerpt from the letter: “Most regrettably, your defamatory statement against him (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.”

“In the circumstance, we do hereby, on his instructions, give you seven days from the date of this letter to write a strongly worded letter of apology to him, published in five national dailies, as well as aired, prime time, in Channels Television, wherein you clearly, in unmistakable terms, retract your said publication against him, and give an undertaking never to defame him ever again.”

“We also demand the payment of the sum of N5 billion as compensation to him to assuage the injuries your said false publication has occasioned to him.”

“Take notice that if the above demands are not strictly met within the stipulated time frame, we have his instructions to commence legal proceedings against you in the appropriate High Court in Imo State, to claim the said sum of N5 billion as damages against you, as well as the appropriate injunctive reliefs against you.”

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