Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, has given Senator Adams Oshiomhole a seven-day ultimatum to retract allegedly defamatory statements made against him on national television.
In a letter dated August 12, 2024, Ighodalo’s legal team, Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, demanded that Oshiomhole issue both a private apology and a public retraction of the statements.
The public apology is to be published in two national dailies, Vanguard and ThisDay Newspapers, as well as on Arise TV.
The letter accused Oshiomhole of making “wild and unsubstantiated” claims about Ighodalo’s candidacy during a recent television appearance, which have since been widely circulated on social media platforms.
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Ighodalo’s lawyers warned that if Oshiomhole fails to meet the demands within the specified time, they will file a N20 billion lawsuit against him.
The letter reads in part, “On or about the 7th day of August 2024, our client’s attention was drawn to widely circulated statements made by you while being interviewed on a national television station during its Morning Show programme, touching and concerning our client.”
It continues, “Oshiomhole should within seven days of receipt of this letter, write a private letter of apology and retraction of the false and defamatory utterances to Ighodalo and a further public letter of apology and retraction that will be published on Arise TV and in two national newspapers, specifically Vanguard and ThisDay.”
The development comes as Ighodalo prepares for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State