Abdulazeez Abdulwahab
THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi has accused the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, of defamation and libel following allegation of sponsorship of planned hunger protests by some Nigerian youths.
Mr Obi has therefore demanded a retraction of the statement and tendering of an unreserved apology to him within 72 hours of the receipt of the letter in not less than four national dailies to wit: Vanguard, This Day, Punch and the Cable, including his verified “X” handle “@aonanuga1956”.
Mr Obi, through his counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) of Alex Ejesieme (SAN) & Co (Madiba Chambers), is also asking for monetary damage of Five Billion Naira (NS,000,000,000) only for the embarrassment the alleged defamatory publication has caused him and his family.
Mr Onanuga had on the 20 of July 2024, via his X (formerly Twitter) handle “@aonanuga1956″ alleged that Mr Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria and that the former Anambra State governor should be held responsible for anarchy in the country. 
However, Mr Obi said he was minded to ignore the false and malicious campaign of calumny regarding it as the vituperations of one who prefers to express their opinion over understanding or that of a scoffer who, converted by Lady Fool, tries to convert others to foolishness
“The central theme of your referenced statement from an unbiased and objective examination thereof, is that our client is an anarchist who whilst working in consonance with terrorist groups, has championed the mobilisation of several nationwide protests in a bitter and undemocratic bid to usurp the Federal Government, possibly as restitution for failure at the 2023 presidential elections.
“Our client denies the entirety of the falsehood contained in the said publication and insists that there is no modicum of truth in the allegations
preferred against him in your published statement that has since gone viral on the internet and its various social media platforms.
“The said statements are in every sense malicious and convey with them, the potentiality of an ostracization of our client by well-meaning citizens of Nigeria.
“It should be stated without any form of equivocation, that our client is an elder statesman, a diplomat and an unwavering democrat. He has always tailored his affairs according to the dictates of the Nigerian law. Where there has been any dissatisfaction with any process or procedure, our client’s first and only effort has been to invoke the appropriate legal mechanisms to ventilate his grievances.
“As a matter of fact, our client has severally urged his teeming supporters to abide by the rule of law and to abstain from any actions which could result in a breakdown of law and order.
“He refrains from associating himself with protests and has constantly persuaded Nigerians to persevere.
“Our client has expressed dissatisfaction with certain policies and has voiced same out through constructive criticism, without malice or resentment.
“It is our client’s conviction that the publication was a calculated plot to demean, ridicule, humiliate and embarrass him in the estimation of every right-thinking member of the society. It appears you have achieved your insipid motive as well-wishers from all around the globe have inundated him with calls to register their shock.
“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”, Chief Ejesieme read.
Eighteen-Eleven Media