Peter Obi and Bayo Onanuga
By Amah
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Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in last year’s general elections, has demanded that Mr Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, retracts an allegation linking Obi to a planned mass protest by Nigerian youths.
Chief Alex Ejesieme of MADIBA Chambers, Obi’s counsel, made the demand, following Onanuga’s July 20, 2024, post on his X handle (@aonanuga1956), which suggested that “Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria and that Obi should be held responsible for anarchy.”
Obi’s legal team claims the statement, which was widely circulated on social and mainstream media, has damaged Obi’s reputation, portraying him as someone who condones violence despite his well-documented history of non-violence, even under provocation.
The letter read: “It’s our client’s conviction that the publication was a calculated plot to demean, ridicule, humiliate, and embarrass him by the estimation of every right-thinking member of society.”
The counsel emphasised that the publication has caused Obi emotional distress, sparking global concern from his well-wishers.
The letter demanded a retraction and a public apology to be published in four national dailies (Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch, and The Cable) and on Onanuga’s verified X account.
Additionally, Obi is seeking ₦5 billion in damages for the embarrassment the allegation caused to him and his family.
The letter gave Onanuga 72 hours to comply with the demands after which, if he fails, Obi’s legal team threatened to proceed to court to press defamation and libel charges against Onanuga.
