Okpebholo threatens to sue two PDP chieftains over ‘defamatory remarks’

Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has given Chris Nehikhare, spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, a five-day ultimatum to apologise over alleged defamatory remarks. 

The governor also demanded an apology from Shedrach Udugbai, a PDP chieftain in Edo, over the same allegation.

In a letter dated March 19 and addressed to Nehikhare, Okpebholo’s lawyers — Blessing Agbomhere and Taiwo Olorunfemi of Blessing Agbomhere & Partners — accused him of linking the governor to a N200 million bribery ploy to secure the defection of PDP members in the state house of assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawyers also accused the PDP spokesperson of alleging that Okpebholo attempted to bribe the local government councillors with N2 million each to defect to the APC.

The governor’s lawyers said Nehikhare published the “defamatory statements” on March 5 and 19 respectively.

Similarly, Udugbai was said to have made defamatory claims during a TV programme on March 13, accusing Okpebholo of bribing three PDP lawmakers with N200 million each to join the APC.

OKPEBHOLO DEMANDS APOLOGY, RETRACTION

The lawyers said the statements were false, damaging, and intended to portray the governor as corrupt and unfit for office.

“The aforementioned defamatory statements as contained in your press statement were circulated and/or broadcasted through WhatsApp broadcast to several persons and rebroadcasted by them thereby reaching millions of persons across Nigeria,” the letter to Nehikhare, reads.

“Furthermore, the aforementioned defamatory statements have been subsequently reproduced and disseminated across various social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook and Instagram, thereby significantly amplifying their reach and impact resulting in consequential harm to our Client.

“We want to point out unequivocally that these allegations are wholly untrue, and a calculated attempt to damage our client’s hard-earned reputation.”

In a separate letter to Udugbai, the lawyers said his statement “was intended to expose our client to public ridicule and denigrate his well-preserved reputation in the eyes of members of the society generally”.

“Since the publication of the said defamatory statement, our Client has been inundated with calls from friends, political associates and other well-meaning Nigerians locally and in diaspora inquiring as to the propriety of the allegations,” the letter reads.

“Undoubtedly, this development has exposed our Client to great distress, hurt and humiliation.”

The lawyers asked Nehikhare and Udugbai to publish a retraction of the alleged defamatory statements on all social media platforms with a letter of apology to the governor in two dailies within five days or face legal action.