Oshiomhole Faces Fresh ₦20bn Defamation Lawsuit from Ighodalo Ahead of Edo 2024

The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, has written to the immediate past governor of the state, and senator representing Edo North senatorial district on the platform of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, demanding the payment of ₦20 billion as damages for “false, defamatory and malicious statements” made against him on Saturday, September 14, 2024, during the party’s mega rally in Benin City.

Oshiomhole had accused Ighodalo of being the brain behind a failed ponzi scheme, ‘PLANWELL’, which rocked the country several years ago in which numerous Nigerians were defrauded of their hard-earned funds.

Demanding “an immediate and unqualified retraction and apology” from Oshiomhole for the said malicious utterances to be published in at least two national television networks and three nationally circulating newspapers, and payment of ₦20 billion, Ighodalo said failure to comply with these demands would lead to legal actions without further notice.

A letter of demand dated September 16, 2024, and signed by Chief Ayo Asala, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, of Ayo Asala and Associates, titled “Re: Defamatory Statements Made in Respect of Dr Asue Ighodalo”, described Oshiomhole’s utterances as figment of his imagination fabricated purely for the purpose of denigrating Ighodalo’s good character and reputation for political purpose.

Asala said “It is sad to note that despite your status as an elder and holder of a public office, you appear to have developed a pattern of spewing false statements in the public domain purely for the achievement of your political ends.

“This baseless, unfounded, false and malicious allegation has become another in a long line of such defamatory fabrications and statements made by you in respect of our client in the recent past.

“Our client is an accomplished Nigerian legal practitioner and a corporate leader whose impressive resume from birth up till the current day is entirely in the public domain and our client has absolutely no connection with and could never have been involved in any manner whatsoever with the purported ‘PLANWELL’ scheme with which you have seriously defamed our client’s reputation.

“It is clear that the fabrication of the unfounded and false story regarding the purported involvement of our client in the said ‘PLANWELL’ scheme or any other financial scheme whatsoever, is a figment of your imagination and a story fabricated purely for the purpose of denigrating the good character and reputation of our client for the achievement of the political purpose of advancing the sinking fortunes of your political party and candidate in the forthcoming Edo State Gubernatorial Elections.”

According to Asala, Ighodalo had been inundated with calls from concerned members of the public, associates, acquaintances and so many people because of Oshiomhole’s alleged malicious accusations.

Consequently, the law firm demanded “an immediate and unqualified retraction and apology for your false, defamatory and malicious statements which should be published in at least two national television networks and three nationally circulating newspapers.

” Pay to our client damages in the sum of ₦20 billion Naira for your false, defamatory and malicious statements referred to herein”.

This is coming on the heels of a previous ₦20 million demands from Oshiomhole by Ighodalo a few weeks ago based on the same allegation of malicious and defamatory utterances against the PDP candidate.