The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last Edo State governorship election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has filed a N500m defamation suit against the acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe.
The suit, marked LD/ADR/5731/2025, was filed before the Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
Ighodalo demanded a retraction of Tenebe’s alleged defamatory statement against him, an apology as well as damages in the sum of N500m.
Ighodalo had last year, through Banwo and Ighodalo law firm in Lagos, written Tenebe a December 11, 2024, pre-action notice demanding an apology and immediate retraction of the alleged defamatory statement within seven days.
The Edo APC chair had, in a viral video on 10th December, accused Ighodalo of corruption and misappropriation of state funds in the wake of the gaffe made by Governor Monday Okpebholo during the presentation of his N605bn budget estimates to the Edo House of Assembly.
“I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original and innocent people. Obaseki will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before.
Asue Ighodalo will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before,” Tenebe claimed in the video.
Tenebe, in a letter by his lawyer, Dr. Blessing Agbomhere, rebuffed Ighodalo’s demand for a retraction, insisting that he did not defame him.
Agbomhere, in the letter, said, “We further want to state unequivocally that our client did not defame your client in any way, and as such, there is no need for a public apology or retraction of comments made in the alleged video.
“But if your client decides to stretch this issue further by going to court, we will rely on the defence of justification in accordance with the report of the Edo State Vehicle Recovery Committee, whose report indicted your client and the preliminary report of the Edo State Asset Verification Committee.”
In his suit, Ighodalo is praying the court to order Tenebe to issue a letter of apology to him within seven days of the delivery of judgment.
Ighodalo, through his lawyers, said, “The primary objective of procuring the publication of the defamatory video was to tarnish our client’s reputation.
“Since the publication of the defamatory video, our client has received numerous calls from professional colleagues, business partners and other well-meaning Nigerians, locally and in the Diaspora, inquiring as to the propriety of the allegations. Undoubtedly, this development has exposed our Client to great distress, hurt, and humiliation.”
Justice A.O. Opesanwo has fixed March 5, 2025, for a hearing.
OBy nozure Dania @ThePUNCH
