…Demands retraction, public apology, threatens legal action
The Labour Party candidate for Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, Engr. Adinigwe Ugochukwu Nwoke, has threatened legal action against a constituent over alleged defamatory statements published about him during an ongoing political exchange ahead of the elections.
Nwoke, through his solicitors, issued a formal demand for the retraction of the alleged defamatory statements and an unreserved apology from the individual identified as Asa Grace Citizen and My World best on the Ukwa Consultative Assembly WhatsApp platform.
The demand, contained in a letter dated November 2026 and addressed to the alleged publisher through the administrators of the WhatsApp group, accused the individual of making unsubstantiated allegations against the Labour Party candidate on November 10, 2026.
According to the solicitors, the disputed publication appeared in a WhatsApp group with approximately 1,012 members and contained allegations bordering on theft, blackmail, electoral violence, assault and other claims capable of damaging their client’s reputation.
Among the statements cited in the legal demand were allegations that Nwoke was dismissed from his former workplace over alleged theft, had a confrontation with Department of State Services officials during the 2019 elections, and was involved in other acts of misconduct.
The publication also alleged that Nwoke collected money from former House of Representatives member, Chris Nkwonta, to withdraw a court case following the 2023 elections.
However, Nwoke’s solicitors described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory, arguing that they were calculated to portray their client as a person of questionable character and undermine his political aspiration.
The lawyers further contended that the publication exposed their client to public ridicule, contempt and hostility, particularly given the wide membership and reach of the WhatsApp platform.
They also questioned the failure of the group administrators to caution against the publication or provide the formal identity of the individual allegedly responsible for the comments, raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding the dissemination of the statements.
The legal letter maintained that the allegations portrayed Nwoke as a criminal, a promoter of electoral violence and an individual allegedly involved in violent conduct against his parent, among other damaging claims.
Consequently, the solicitors demanded that the alleged publisher retract the statements within seven days of receiving the letter.
They further requested that the retraction be published on the same WhatsApp platform, in one national newspaper and one local newspaper, as well as on Facebook, with an unreserved written apology personally delivered to their client.
The solicitors warned that failure to comply with the demands would leave Nwoke with no option but to institute civil proceedings to seek redress for the alleged injury to his reputation.
They also indicated their client’s intention to explore criminal proceedings over alleged criminal defamation, cyberbullying and the transmission of false information.
The development comes amid heightened political activities and exchanges among supporters of political parties in Ukwa East and Ukwa West ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election.
The legal threat adds a new dimension to the increasingly heated political contest in the constituency, where social media platforms and community communication channels have become prominent arenas for political mobilisation, criticism and counter-accusations.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no response from the individual accused of making the publication or the administrators of the Ukwa Consultative Assembly WhatsApp group.
