Rufai Oseni Criticizes Peter Obi’s Lawsuit Against Kenneth Okonkwo

Arise News anchor Rufai Oseni has publicly faulted the decision of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to file a defamation lawsuit against actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo. Obi’s legal team initiated the suit following Okonkwo’s allegations that Obi and other party leaders in the South-East accepted bribes from aspirants during recent party primaries.

Speaking on the Arise TV morning show, Oseni characterized Okonkwo as a “political surrogate” and argued that the legal action is a strategic misstep. He suggested that the lawsuit has backfired by providing significant media oxygen to claims that might have otherwise faded into obscurity.

“If I’m to advise Mr Peter Obi, I would ask him to remove that case from the court,” Oseni stated. “He doesn’t need [to]. 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.”

Oseni emphasized that politicians should be more selective about which criticisms warrant a formal response, suggesting that elevating such claims through litigation only serves to amplify them. “You just gave a 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,” he added.

The lawsuit, which seeks N5 billion in damages, follows an intense period of political friction where Okonkwo, an ADC chieftain, alleged that aspirants were scammed and forced to pay bribes of N10 million and N20 million for legislative nominations. While Obi’s camp has vehemently denied these claims and issued a seven-day ultimatum for a retraction, Oseni’s commentary highlights the growing debate over whether high-profile politicians should engage with every accuser in a courtroom setting.