Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, and a renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, have declared their intention to take legal action against the Senior Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, over allegations of defamation and the spread of false information that they
Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, and a renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, have declared their intention to take legal action against the Senior Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, over allegations of defamation and the spread of false information that they are inciting protests and causing unrest in the country.
This is against the background of a post made by Mr. Onanuga on July 20 on his X-handle concerning an ongoing call for protest against bad governance in the country. In his post, Mr. Onanuga alleged that Mr. Peter Obi, Professor Utomi, and their supporters should be held responsible for the mayhem and unrest during the protests. These comments, according to Mr Obi and Professor Utomi, were “false and malicious,” and lacking any semblance of truth.
Accusation of Defamation and Malicious Claim
In a letter addressed to Onanuga, Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, the legal counsel to Mr Obi accused Onanuga of defaming his client, stating that his publication was a plot to ridicule and humiliate him in public. He also asked the presidential aide to retract his statement and pay a sum of N5 billion as an apology.
“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. …His appellation as ‘Okwute’ (the Rock) notwithstanding, the demeaning and scandalous publication has also caused a serious emotional injury to our client given his decades of stellar stewardship in private and public life.
Prof Pat Utomi
In his press statement, Professor Utomi decried the claim made by Mr. Bayo Onanuga as a deliberate attempt to spread falsehoods about his person. He also asked the presidential spokesperson to provide evidence for his claim, claiming that it was a subtle attempt to nail him with false treasonable felony charges, which could cost him his life.
“If no evidence of Mr. Onanuga’s false assertion is shown I will assume it reasonable that the object is to water the ground for false treasonable felony charges that can result in the claim of one’s life. I intend to therefore proceed to the international criminal and other human rights courts if a reasonable explanation is not forthcoming”, he said.
Threats to Legal Action
As a result, Mr. Obi and Professor Utomi have threatened to sue Mr Onanuga if he cannot produce evidence to back up his claim. They have also made separate demands in their quest to be exonerated from false allegations.
Mr Obi’s Lawyer asked Mr. Onanuga to write an apology letter on the front pages of four national dailies in the country and his x handle, otherwise, they would take legal action against him. “Consequently, we have our client’s mandate to demand that you retract the statement made in the publication and tender an unreserved apology to him within 72 hours of the receipt of this letter in not less than 4 National Dailies to wit: Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch and the Cable, including your verified X“@aonanuga1956.
“Our client is also making an unequivocal demand for the monetary damage of N5b for the embarrassment your defamatory publication has caused him and his family. 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.”
In his statement, Mr. Utomi stated that if Mr. Onanuga does not provide any evidence linking him to the protest, he will be forced to take legal action to obtain justice for himself both in Nigeria and abroad.
“I will also have no choice but to institute a claim of N500 billion for fake news, hate speech, and intent to procure the state murder of an innocent citizen. If judicial capture makes justice problematic in Nigeria, I expect that I can trust extra-national institutions and global human solidarity.
Onanuga Reacts
In response to the threat of legal action, Mr. Bayo Onanuga mocked Obi and Utomi’s threats in a recent post on his official X handle yesterday, saying that he would appear in court. “ I am still waiting for the letter from Peter Obi’s lawyer threatening a N5 billion suit and demanding an apology to Peter Obi over the planned ‘revolution’. Let me just tell Obi and his lawyer: I am not afraid of any legal action. We shall meet in court”.
