Defamation: Asue Ighodalo Threatens Oshiomhole With N20 Billion Suit
…Demands 7 days ultimatum to retract statements
By Simeon OSAJIE
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has given Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past governor of the state and senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, seven days within which he should retract the malicious and slanderous statements he (Oshiomhole) made against him (Ighodalo), on a national television.
Besides the retraction, Ighodalo is also asking the former National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), to tender public and private apologies to him which must also be published in two specific national dailies, the Vanguard and ThisDay Newspapers.
The PDP gubernatorial candidate added that failure of Comrade Oshiomhole to meet his demands, he would have no other option than to institute a N20 billion suit against the former Labour leader.
Ighodalo’s demands are contained in a letter dated August 12, 2024, by Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, solicitors and lawyers to Ighodalo, addressed to Oshiomhole.
The letter stated that while appearing on national television, Arise News, Oshiomhole, made very wild and unsubstantiated claims, lying about the status of Ighodalo’s candidacy.
Even when cautioned and warned about the fallacy by the moderators of the programme, he maintained his claims and also made other derogatory remarks about Ighodalo, thus directly attacking his person, reputation and integrity last week.
The letter which was sighted by our correspondent, read in part: “On or about 7th day of August 2024, our client’s attention was drawn to widely circulated statements made by you while being interviewed on a National Television Station, Arise News, during its Morning Show Program, touching and concerned our clients. These statement have also seen widely circulated on various social media platforms including ‘X’ (formally called Twitter), ‘WhatsApp’ and ‘Facebook’ and others.”
Ighodalo’s lawyers then specifically demanded that Oshiomhole should within seven days of receipt of the letter, write a private letter of apology and retraction of the false and defamatory utterances to Ighodalo and a further public letter of apology and retraction that will be published on Arise TV and in two National Newspapers, specifically, Vanguard and ThisDay Newspapers.
Ighodalo’s lawyers concluded that failure to act on their demands will lead to legal action involving a claim of N20bn for damages without any further notice.
