Curbing Unguarded Utterances by Political Actors

The outcomes of the defamation suits slammed on Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor,  Adams Oshiomhole by the court-reinstated deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, respectively, and the threat of litigation by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu against the chairman of the PDP in the state, Anthony Aziegbemi, will potentially curb unguarded statements by political actors and shape future political campaigns in the country, Ejiofor Alike reports

Governorship election in Edo State has always been characterised by the use of foul language and defamation of characters to undermine political opponents.

In every governorship election in the state, the political gladiators are not only obsessed with the use of defamatory, uncouth and derogatory languages to undermine their opponents, they also make unsuccessful attempts to incite the revered Palace of the Oba of Benin against their opponents with baseless and frivolous allegations.

However, with the decision of the various political gladiators involved in yesterday’s election in the state to seek redress in courts for alleged defamation by their opponents, it is expected that the outcomes of the litigations will serve as deterrent to politicians who recklessly defame and slander others.

The first political actor to seek redress in court was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Asue Ighodalo, who gave the senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, seven days to retract what his lawyers described as slanderous statement he made against him on national television.

Ighodalo’s demands were contained in a letter dated August 12, 2024, by Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, solicitors and lawyers to Ighodalo, which was addressed to Oshiomhole.

In the letter, Oshiomhole was asked to, within seven days of receipt of the 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 Newspapers.

“Failure to act on our client’s demands will lead to legal action involving a claim of N20billion for damages without further notice.”

However, the seven days expired without Oshiomhole acting on Ighodalo’s demands.

But following a fresh allegation he made against Ighodalo during the grand finale of the governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday last week in Benin City, Ighodalo asked his lawyers to institute a suit against the senator.

Ighodalo said Oshiomhole had accused him of involvement in “Planwell,” a ponzi scheme that surfaced in Edo State in the early 1990s.

“People of my age and even younger have not forgotten how Asue Ighodalo and all his associates were involved in what they call Planwell,” Oshiomhole had reportedly said during the campaign rally.

“Planwell was set up as an institution where you deposit 10,000 in the morning by tomorrow it becomes 15,000, and after six months, people were defrauded, and the institution disappeared. And they became rich, and Edo people became pauperised,” Oshiomhole added.

In a response to the allegations through his counsel, Asala (SAN), Ighodalo described Oshiomhole’s comment as “false, defamatory, and malicious”.

“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,” a letter by Ighodalo’s lawyer and addressed to Oshiomhole read.

Indeed, Oshiomhole’s critics believe that the former Edo State governor has “developed a pattern of spewing false statements in the public domain purely” to achieve his political ends.

They cited former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the late Chief Tony Anenih, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, and Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor as some of his victims, though he has since apologised to some of them.

It was just last week that he used the occasion of the 90th birthday celebration of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, to beg the Esama to pardon him for any past wrongs during his tenure as governor.

Oshiomhole was also in March 2021 forced to retract statements he made in 2018 accusing the then Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State of murder.

During a media briefing in 2018, Oshiomhole said Ortom was involved in the murder of two Catholic priests.

The priests were killed alongside 17 parishioners by gunmen who attacked Ayar Mbalon village, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue in April 2018.

The attack and a series of others had compelled Ortom to defect from the APC to the PDP.

 While reacting to Ortom’s defection, Oshiomhole as the then national chairman of the APC, accused the then governor of worsening insecurity in the state and pointed fingers at him over the murder of the priests.

But Ortom dragged him to court and demanded N10 billion for the libelous statement against him.

The case dragged on in court until Oshiomhole requested out-of-court settlement and apologised, describing Ortom as a dear friend and brother with whom he had shared so much in common, including mutual respect.

In Edo, the court-reinstated deputy governor of the state, Shaibu, had also instituted a N50 billion lawsuit against the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki and six others for alleged defamation of his character.

The case, which was instituted at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division with Suit No: CV/3730/24, has Obaseki and two newspapers as defendants.

Shaibu, in the suit, argued that the said newspapers’ publications were unwarranted, unjustifiable, unfounded, baseless and calculated to injure, tarnish and disparage his character and good reputation and therefore, defamatory.

Also, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had through his lawyers, written the state chairman of the PDP, Anthony Aziegbemi, seeking a retraction of the allegations that the presidency, through his office and the DSS, plans to manipulate the upcoming gubernatorial election in the state in favour of the APC.

In a letter from the legal representatives of the NSA, Charles Musa and Co., the law firm condemned the defamatory statement, saying it has significantly harmed Ribadu’s reputation by falsely depicting him as a facilitator of corruption.

The law firm stated that these allegations are baseless and contradict Ribadu’s well-established reputation for integrity and his commitment to fighting corruption.

The firm also demanded payment of N10 billion from the state PDP chairman as damages for reputational and other injuries within seven days or risk legal action by Ribadu to enforce his rights.

As Nigerians await the outcomes of the various defamation suits arising from the Edo State governorship election, it is expected that the outcomes will not only serve as deterrent to politicians who recklessly defame and slander others, the court actions will also shape future campaigns in the country.