Edo guber: Pay N20bn damages or face lawsuit, Ighodalo dares Oshiomhole

By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY— THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, has filed a N20 billion defamatory suit against Senator Adams Oshiomhole over comments that he was involved in the Planwell scheme.

This demand comes in response to allegations made by Oshiomhole on September 14, 2024, during a political rally in Benin City, that Ighodalo was the brain behind a ponzi scheme, ‘Planwell’, in which numerous Nigerians were defrauded of their hard-earned funds in the past.

Ighodalo, through his counsel, Ayo Asala, SAN, & Associates, also sought an immediate and unqualified retraction and apology for the false, defamatory, and malicious comments which should be published in at least two national television networks and three nationally circulating newspapers. The PDP candidate noted that the allegations by Oshiomhole are “baseless, false, and malicious” describing them as another of such defamatory fabrications and statements made by Oshiomhole in the recent past.

He added that the fabrication of the unfounded and false story was a figment of Oshiomhole’s imagination, intended to denigrate his good character and reputation for the political purpose of Oshiomhole, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate in the forthcoming Edo governorship election.

Dated September 16, 2024, and addressed to Oshiomhole, Ighodalo’s letter read in part:, “It is our information that at a campaign rally of your Party on Saturday, 14th of September, 2024, you made statements to the effect that our aforesaid client, Dr. Ighodalo, was associated with or participated in an alleged pyramid scheme known as ‘Planwell’ in which numerous Nigerians were defrauded of their hard-earned funds.

“This false and unfounded statement of yours was broadcast live on television and has received extensive exposure on electronic and social media.

“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.

“Our client has been inundated with calls and other contacts from concerned members of the public who heard your said allegations on electronic and social media as a result of which our client has suffered enormous unwarranted reputational damage arising from the lies and baseless fabrications of which you have become the purveyor.

“Our client is determined to ensure that these defamatory lies and fabrications which you have put in the public space do not go unchallenged.

“In consequence of the foregoing, therefore, our client demands the following: i) An immediate and unqualified retraction and apology for your false, defamatory and malicious statements which should be published in at least two (2) National Television Networks and three (3) Nationally circulating newspapers.

“Pay to our client damages in the sum of N20 billion Naira for your false, defamatory, and malicious statements referred to herein.

“Further Take Notice that such action will be instituted without further notice or correspondence to you in that regard whatsoever.”

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