Obi drags Deji Adeyanju to court over defamation, seeks N1.5bn damages

Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has filed a N1.5 billion lawsuit against political activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, accusing him of making defamatory statements.

Obi, in a suit filed at the High Court of Anambra State, Onitsha Judicial Division, alleged that Adeyanju published false and malicious claims that harmed his reputation and integrity.

Obi’s legal team is seeking compensation for damages and a court injunction to prevent further publication of the alleged defamatory content.

According to the writ of summons, marked O/254/75 and issued on October 3 by Obi’s counsel, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), Obi is seeking a court declaration that several posts and comments made by Adeyanju on his verified X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram accounts were “false, baseless, unfounded, malicious, reckless, scandalous, and defamatory.”

Obi is also demanding that Adeyanju issue a public apology and a full retraction of the posts across all his social media platforms and in at least three national newspapers, as well as major television networks including Channels TV, Arise News, and TVC News.

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The former Labour Party presidential candidate is equally asking the court to compel Adeyanju to delete all posts in which he allegedly referred to Obi with derogatory terms such as “religious bigot,” “fraud,” “scum,” and “political prostitute.”

He further seeks a perpetual injunction restraining Adeyanju, his agents, or associates from making any further defamatory publications against him.

The former governor is also claiming N500 million in aggravated damages and N1 billion in general damages for alleged reputational harm, ridicule, and emotional distress, along with 18 percent annual interest on the judgment sum until it is fully paid, plus the cost of litigation.

In his reaction, Adeyanju expressed his readiness to prove that “Peter Obi is corrupt, a bigot and a fraud” in court.

The lawyer wrote on X: “Finally, Peter Obi has sued me. I am actually happy and relieved that he didn’t chicken out in the end.

“Interestingly, he dragged me all the way to Anambra State, even though he is almost always in Abuja where I reside. But no shaking, we move. I will prove in court that Peter Obi is corrupt, a bigot and a fraud. You will all be entertained I promise.”

The Star