Ighodalo seeks apology, ₦20bn in damages over Oshiomhole’s allegations

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has instructed his lawyers to file a lawsuit against Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, over alleged defamatory remarks.

Ighodalo claims that Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, accused him of being involved in “Planwell,” a Ponzi scheme that operated in Edo in the early 1990s.

At a campaign rally on Saturday, Oshiomhole had stated, “People of my age and even younger will remember how Asue Ighodalo and his associates were involved in what they called Planwell. It was a scheme where you deposited ₦10,000 in the morning, and by the next day, it became ₦15,000. After six months, people were defrauded, the scheme disappeared, and they became rich while Edo people were impoverished.”

In response, Ighodalo, through his lawyer Ayo Asala (SAN), labeled Oshiomhole’s statements as “false, defamatory, and malicious.” A letter addressed to Oshiomhole by Ighodalo’s legal team condemned the statements, asserting that they were baseless and aimed at tarnishing Ighodalo’s reputation for political gain.

The letter read, “It is unfortunate that despite your status as an elder and a public official, you have continued to spread false statements to serve your political agenda. This false and malicious allegation is just the latest in a series of defamatory comments you’ve made about our client.”

Ighodalo, described as a respected legal practitioner and corporate leader, denies any involvement in the Planwell scheme. His legal team argued that Oshiomhole’s accusations were a fabrication intended to damage Ighodalo’s reputation ahead of the Edo State gubernatorial elections.

Ighodalo is demanding a public retraction and apology from Oshiomhole, to be published on at least two national television networks and three national newspapers. Additionally, he is seeking ₦20 billion in damages for the reputational harm caused by Oshiomhole’s statements.

The letter concludes by warning Oshiomhole that legal action will be initiated without further notice if he fails to comply with the demands.