Obi demands apology, N5bn from Tinubu’s aide.
Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has issued President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on communication and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, a seventy-two-hour ultimatum to retract his assertion that Obi was the mastermind of the upcoming nationwide demonstration.
Obi threatened to sue Onanuga for defamation and libel if he didn’t apologize. Obi, via his attorney Alex Ejesieme, insisted that Onanuga’s verified X handle #aonanuga1956 as well as four national publications (Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch, and The Cable) broadcast the public apology.
Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has given President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on communication and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, a 72-hour ultimatum to retract his assertion that Obi was behind the planned nationwide.
The demand is in response to Onanuga’s accusations on July 20, 2024, that Obi’s followers were preparing chaos in Nigeria and associating him with anarchy.
The claim was characterized by Obi’s legal representative as a “calculated plot” to discredit and humiliate their client, seriously impairing both his reputation and emotional health.
The attorney pointed out that the accusation spread widely on social media and in traditional media, damaging Obi’s well-deserved reputation.
He emphasized that Obi detests violence and has a long history of upholding the law and participating positively in both public and private life.
“The said statements are in every sense malicious and convey with them the potentiality of an ostracization of our Client by well-meaning citizens of Nigeria,” stated part of the Obi’s counsel letter.
Without reservation, it is important to acknowledge that our client is a seasoned statesman, a diplomat, and a staunch democrat.
“Our Client has expressed dissatisfaction with certain policies and has voiced the same through constructive criticism, without malice or resentment,” the letter continued, quoting Obi’s attorney.
