An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has granted NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, permission to serve court documents on Kenneth Okonkwo through substituted means after attempts at personal service were unsuccessful.
The judge, D.A. Onyefulu, gave the order on Tuesday, 30 June.
The court ordered that the documents be pasted at Okonkwo’s last known address in Nsukka, Enugu State, or handed to any adult found at the residence. The suit is expected to proceed once the substituted service is completed.
The order followed an ex parte application filed by Mr Obi through his lawyer, Chisom Ibemesi, after his initial efforts to serve Mr Okonkwo failed.
Justice Onyefulu also ordered, “service to be photographed and put in the court’s file to show due compliance with orders of the court”.
Okonkwo had during Channels TV’s programme alleged that Obi and the South-east caucus of the NDC demanded a N10 million bribe from House of Representatives aspirants in the party to secure their tickets.
The politician specifically claimed that a House of Representatives aspirant in the NDC from Anambra State, Obunike Ohaegbu, sent him a message and a receipt alleging that Obi scammed him of a N10 million bribe.
He claimed that Ohaegbu, a House of Representatives aspirant for Nnewi North-South and Ekwusigo Constituency, said that after he and other aspirants paid the N10 million bribe, they were asked to go to the field for primaries instead of being given tickets.
Okonkwo further claimed Ohaegbu alleged that Obi, instead of ensuring credible primaries, stayed at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja, wrote and submitted a list of the NDC’s candidates for various constituencies.
He claimed that anybody who votes for the NDC and Obi voted for criminality, arguing that the party had been criminally extorting aspirants.
Ohaegbu, has, however, denied making the statements. While appearing on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on 9 June, the politician said he never made such statements to Okonkwo.
“I am telling you that Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million. I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi, in any way, told me to pay N10 million,” he said.
Ohaegbu further said he never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery and did not say that Obi compiled a list of candidates in Johnwood Hotel.
In response, Obi, in his pre-action notice, threatened to file a N5 billion lawsuit against Okonkwo if he failed to withdraw his allegations against him, pay N5 billion as compensation and tender a public apology within seven days.
In his reply, in a letter to Obi dated 16 June and signed by his lawyer, V. I. Uma, Okonkwo said he stood by his words and insisted that he would not retract his remarks.