Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, has filed a N20 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Adams Oshiomhole over alleged defamatory comments made concerning the Planwell scheme.
Ighodalo, through his legal counsel, Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, has also demanded an immediate and public retraction of the remarks, along with an unqualified apology to be broadcast on at least two national television networks and published in three nationally circulated newspapers.
In his suit, Ighodalo emphasized that the allegations made by Oshiomhole are baseless, false, and malicious, portraying them as a continuation of previous defamatory fabrications. He accused Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District, of making these false claims to tarnish his reputation in order to boost the political prospects of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the upcoming Edo governorship election.
Ighodalo maintained that Oshiomhole’s statements were completely fabricated and intended to harm his character for political gain.
A letter by Ighodalo’s lawyers dated September 16, 2024, and addressed to Oshiomhole reads, “We are counsel to Asue Ighodalo, who is the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming Edo State Governorship election. It is our information that at a campaign rally of your party on Saturday, September 14, 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. It is sad to note that despite your status as an elder and holder of a public office, you appear to have developed a pattern of spewing false statements in the public domain purely for the achievement of your political ends.”
“This baseless, unfounded, false, and malicious allegation has become another in a long line of such defamatory fabrications and statements made by you in respect of our client in the recent past. 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 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.”
Ighodalo further noted, “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 to denigrate 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.”
The letter added that Ighodalo was determined to ensure that the allegations against him do not go unaddressed.
“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 for 20 billion Naira for your false, defamatory, and malicious statements referred to herein. Take Notice that it is our client’s instructions that we immediately institute appropriate proceedings against you for damages in the sum of Twenty (20) Billion Naira (N20,000,000,000.00) for your said false, malicious, irresponsible and damaging statements made against our client without any foundation whatsoever. Further take notice that such action will be instituted without further notice or correspondence to you in that regard whatsoever,” it added.
