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PETER OBI DEMANDS N5 BILLION DAMAGES FROM BAYO ONANUGA OVER DEFAMATORY PUBLICATION

Published

4 months ago

July 23, 2024

2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, over alleged defamatory publications.

In a letter written by his counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN), Obi demanded a retraction of the publications and N5 billion in damages. The publications, which were widely circulated on social and mainstream media, falsely linked Obi to a planned mass protest in August.

Obi’s legal team argued that the publications maligned his hard-earned reputation as a man who abhors violence, 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 read.

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The demand letter further stated that Onanuga’s actions were a deliberate attempt to damage Obi’s reputation and undermine his integrity. Obi’s legal team gave Onanuga seven days to retract the publications and tender an apology, failing which they would take further legal action.

This development comes amidst rising political tensions in the country, with many calling for calm and respectful dialogue among political actors. The outcome of this legal action remains to be seen.