Senator Adams Oshiomhole has been given seven days to retract a “malicious and slanderous statement” against Dr Asue Ighodalo and tender a private and public apologies for the infraction or face a N20 billion legal action.
This is contained in a letter dated 12 August 2024, by Ayo Asala, SAN & Associates, solicitors and lawyers to Ighodalo, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 21 September governorship election in Edo State.
While appearing on national television, Arise News, Oshiomhole had made very wild and unsubstantiated claims, shamelessly 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 newsmen, 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 concerning our clients. These statements have also been 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 N20 billion for damages without any further notice.
