In a formal demand, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, has called on Mr Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, to retract an allegation linking Obi to an impending mass protest.
Obi’s counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme of MADIBA Chambers, issued the demand following Onanuga’s July 20, 2024, post on his X handle (@aonanuga1956), which suggested that “Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria and that Obi should be held responsible for anarchy.”
Obi’s legal team claims the statement, widely circulated on social and mainstream media, has damaged Obi’s reputation, depicting him as someone who condones violence despite his well-documented history of non-violence, even under provocation.
“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,” the letter stated.
The counsel emphasised the emotional distress Obi, known as “Okwute” (The Rock), caused by the publication, prompting global concern from his well-wishers.
The letter demands a retraction and a public apology in four national dailies (Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch, and The Cable) and on Onanuga’s verified X account.
Furthermore, Obi is seeking ₦5 billion in damages for the embarrassment caused to him and his family.
Should Onanuga fail to meet these demands within 72 hours, Obi’s legal team has threatened to pursue defamation and libel charges in court.
