By Abigail David

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has demanded N5 billion in damages and a public apology from actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo over alleged defamatory remarks made during a television interview.

In a letter dated June 9, 2026, Obi’s legal team, led by Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused Okonkwo of making false and malicious allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on June 8.

The lawyers said Okonkwo alleged that Obi and other NDC leaders demanded bribes from party aspirants and engaged in fraudulent and criminal activities. They described the claims as “false, baseless, malicious and wholly unsupported by any fact.”

According to the letter, the statements damaged Obi’s reputation by portraying him as a dishonest and corrupt political figure.

Obi is demanding that Okonkwo withdraw the allegations, issue an unequivocal public apology with similar or greater prominence than the original publication, pay N5 billion in general and exemplary damages, and provide a written undertaking to refrain from making further defamatory statements.

The legal team warned that failure to comply within seven days could lead to court action seeking damages, injunctive reliefs and legal costs.

Responding on his X account, Okonkwo dismissed the demand, saying he had yet to review the letter. He challenged Obi to pursue the matter in court and indicated he would formally respond after reading the document.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, has emerged winner of the first online voting exercise conducted by Nigerian Concord Newspaper.

The poll is the first in a series of ten online voting exercises scheduled by the publication.

Other candidates featured in the ballot include Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Matthias Byuan of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Sebastine Hon of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Hon. Herman Hembe of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Professor Terhemba Shija of the National Democratic Congress.

The voting exercise, which ran from Thursday through Friday morning, was monitored by the newspaper’s editorial team in Lagos State.

A total of 369 participants took part in the poll. However, 28 votes were invalidated due to instances of multiple voting, leaving 341 valid votes.

Of the valid votes cast, Aondoakaa polled 196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Governor Hyacinth Alia, who scored 84 votes. Hon. Herman Hembe secured 29 votes, while Chief Sebastine Hon, Dr. Byuan, and Professor Shija received 14, 10, and 8 votes respectively.

Following the collation of results, the chairman of the Nigerian Concord Newspaper Online Voting Monitoring Team, Prince Olukanye Eleko, declared Aondoakaa the winner, having secured the highest number of valid votes.

The newspaper announced that the next online poll among the six governorship candidates will hold on the 15th of this month.

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

A political leader in Kajuru and Chikun Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Hon. Isah Danssaallah, has announced that he is considering leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing concerns about the state of opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement titled Declaration of Intent to Realign Politically, Danssaallah said the move followed consultations with supporters, political associates, and stakeholders across the two local government areas.He expressed concerns about what he described as fragmentation within opposition parties, arguing that internal divisions could weaken their ability to provide an effective alternative to the ruling party.

Speaking on his experience in the ADC, Danssaallah alleged that the party had been affected by internal disagreements, parallel structures, and leadership challenges. He said these issues had raised concerns about transparency and party cohesion.The politician, however, praised the PDP’s organizational structure, describing it as a leading opposition platform with established national and grassroots networks.

According to him, the proposed realignment is not driven by personal ambition but by a commitment to democratic governance, effective opposition politics, and broader political participation.Danssaallah said consultations on the proposed move are ongoing and that a final decision will be announced at a later date.

The development adds to ongoing political discussions in Kaduna State ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly in Kajuru and Chikun, two local government areas regarded as politically significant. Officials of both the ADC and PDP in Kaduna State had not publicly responded to the declaration as of press time.