Lawyer and member of the Legal Advocates for Ethics and Integrity, Maxwell Opara, has challenged anyone claiming to have paid money in support of Peter Obi’s presidential ambition to provide evidence of the transaction.
Opara made the remarks in a video shared by Channels Television while reacting to allegations by Kenneth Okonkwo that a member of the National Opposition Coalition (NDC) told him aspirants were allegedly required to pay ₦10 million to support Obi’s presidential bid.
According to Opara, anyone who claims to have given money to Obi, party leaders, or other officials in exchange for a political ticket should come forward with proof. He said his organisation is prepared to offer free legal services to help recover the money if the allegations can be substantiated.
He stressed that serious accusations involving bribery or corruption must be supported by credible evidence rather than unverified claims.
Opara also urged Okonkwo to withdraw the allegation and apologise to Obi if he is unable to provide proof to support his claims.
The lawyer further warned that failure to do so could result in a petition being filed before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee. He argued that legal practitioners have a duty to ensure criminal allegations are backed by evidence before making them public.
In his words: “I’m assuring the person who said that he gave Peter Obi 10 million naira, or the leader of the party, Seriake Dickson, or the national chairman, to come up with evidence, we’re going to offer you free legal services to recover your money.”
The comments come amid an ongoing dispute over allegations made by Okonkwo against Obi and other party officials.
