Alleged Libel: INEC REC, Agbaje, Demands N250m, Retraction from Activist 

Wale Igbintade

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, Mr. Segun Agbaje has asked an activist, Mr. Bolaji Akinyemi to retract what he described as a “libelous publication” written against his person.

Agbaje in a letter written by his lawyer, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole, demanded for apology and damages over a publication titled “Danger! Segun Agbaje: Lagos INEC Rec: System-enabled Election Rigger?” allegedly written by the activist.

Akinyemi was alleged to have made libelous and defamatory statements which besmirched the character and integrity of Agbaje, in a story published by Sahara Reporters, on February 12, 2023.

Agbaje who is also a former Assistant Director General (ADG) of the Department of State Service (DSS), consequently asked Akinyemi to publish, “a genuine and elaborate apology” in two major newspapers and online news outlets of the said libelous statements and publication within 48 hours of receiving the letter.

Akinyemi was also asked to make payment of N250 million, as damages for the malicious and false statements made against him.

The letter to Akinyemi read in part: “We are Solicitors to Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, the REC of INEC, Lagos State, and a former ADG of the DSS on whose instruction we write in respect to the above subject.

“Our instruction is that you wrote a publication which was made available to the general public on 12th February, 2023, by Sahara Reporters, wherein you made libelous and defamatory statements about our client.

“In the said publication, you besmirched the character and integrity of our client, in the following terms: “Segun Agbaje was the head of INEC in Osun, the umpire who enable the people’s empire to be raided by a gang of political robbers who have hardly won any election free, fair and square but ever having their way without the majority!

“Amid accusation of INEC in Lagos by the public for demanding state-owned identity cards before PVC registration and rejection of certain tribe for flimsy excuses without providing data, these allegations seem to be true if the revelation of Segun Agbaje that Igbos are immigrants from the South Eastern part of Nigeria is anything to go by.”

Consequently, Agbaje requested the retraction of the libelous statements and publication, as well as a genuine and elaborate apology in two major newspapers and online news outlets.

Besides, Agbaje also demanding payment of the sum of N250,000,000.00 as damages “for the malicious and false statements made against him, warning that failure to accede to the requests of within 48 hours of receipt of the letter, he would be constrained to proceed to the Court to seek redress.”