PeakNews Online
The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has demanded an apology and a retraction from Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the President, over allegations linking him to the planned nationwide mass protest in August.
Obi, through his counsel Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, of MADIBA Chambers, has also sought N5 billion in damages.
On July 20, 2024, Onanuga alleged on his X handle, @aonanuga1956, that Obi’s supporters were orchestrating mayhem in Nigeria and held Obi responsible for potential anarchy. Obi’s counsel contends that the allegation, widely circulated in social and mainstream media, has tarnished his client’s reputation as a non-violent individual, even in the face of extreme provocation.
“It’s our client’s conviction that the publication was a calculated plot to demean, ridicule, humiliate, and embarrass him by the estimation of every right-thinking member of society,” the letter from Chief Ejesieme stated. The counsel emphasized that the publication has caused significant emotional distress to Obi, despite his well-known peaceful nature and esteemed public service record.
The letter demanded a retraction of the statement and an unreserved apology within 72 hours in four national dailies – Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch, and The Cable – as well as on Onanuga’s verified X handle. Additionally, Obi seeks N5 billion for the embarrassment caused by the defamatory publication.
“In the event of your failure to meet the demands set out above, our client shall be constrained to approach a court of competent jurisdiction and take legal action against you for defamation and libel,” the letter warned.
This development follows the ongoing discourse surrounding the planned protest against the economic hardships in Nigeria, which many attribute to recent government policies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
