An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has granted the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, permission to serve court documents on Kenneth Okonkwo through substituted means after attempts at personal service were unsuccessful.
The court ordered that the originating processes be pasted at Okonkwo’s last known address in Nsukka, Enugu State, or delivered to any adult found at the residence.
The case is expected to proceed after the substituted service has been effected.
The legal action stems from allegations made by Okonkwo, who claimed that Obi and some leaders of NDC in the South-East demanded additional payments from aspirants seeking the party’s National Assembly tickets.
Okonkwo also alleged that documentary evidence, including receipts, existed to support his claims.
He further claimed that Obi personally compiled the party’s candidate lists from a hotel room in Abuja and made other allegations bordering on dishonesty and criminal conduct.
Following the allegations, Obi’s legal team issued a pre-action letter demanding that Okonkwo retract the statements, publish a public apology on Channels Television and his social media platforms, pay N5 billion in damages, and undertake not to make similar allegations in the future.
