₦airaland Forum

Leading Nigerian law firm Banwo & Ighodalo has taken final steps to institute legal action against Jarrett Tenebe, Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, over defamatory claims made against its founding partner, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.

In a formal letter dated December 18, 2024, and signed by senior advocate Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN), the firm condemned Tenebe’s accusations, describing them as “libelous, reckless, and unfounded.” This follows Tenebe’s comments during a December 17 interview on TMC TV/Radio, where he claimed that Mr. Ighodalo “stole 21 government vehicles” from the Edo State Government. The firm noted that these allegations persist despite a December 11 letter demanding an immediate retraction and apology. Tenebe has now been given three days to withdraw the statements or face formal court proceedings.

The Team Asue Media Organisation (TAMO), in a separate statement signed by Erhabor Emokpae, categorically refuted the allegations, describing them as a calculated smear campaign aimed at distracting the public and tarnishing Mr. Ighodalo’s reputation. TAMO clarified that Alaghodaro, which Mr. Ighodalo chaired, is a private-sector-led initiative focused on fostering economic growth and investments in Edo State.

The statement also highlighted Mr. Ighodalo’s integrity and selflessness, noting that he has personally funded his expenses throughout his 16 years of public service, including his time as Chairman of Alaghodaro. The accusations regarding the theft of government vehicles were dismissed as baseless, absurd, and unsupported by any evidence.

Banwo & Ighodalo reiterated its resolve to pursue all legal remedies if the defamatory statements are not retracted within the stipulated timeframe. The firm emphasized that the weaponization of misinformation for political gain erodes public trust and damages democratic institutions. It called on all parties to uphold the principles of truth, integrity, and decency in public discourse.

The case is expected to advance to the courts if Mr. Tenebe fails to comply. Further developments are anticipated in the coming days.

mrrandomguy:
Some of these law firms pay graduates less than ₦50,000 per month salary.

ogugwa1992:
https://leaders.ng/2024/12/18/banwo-ighodalo-to-sue-apc-chairman-over-defamatory-allegations-against-asue-ighodalo/

emkz:
Very good.

He accused Asue Ighodalo of stealing billions.

From where did Asue steal billions? Governor Monday Okpebholo struggled to read figures, which was understandable. The APC Chairman could have said there was an error in not writing the amount in words which would be rectified in future. But he decided to argue that the governor could not read because he was not a thief like Asue and Obaseki who had stolen billions.

As for those who speak for governors or prepare speeches, please take the job seriously. You can read books and watch videos on how to write a speech. The mistake was glaring. Write everything in words. In primary school, we started learning how to write figures in words. You can write six hundred and twenty-one billion naira or 621 billion instead of 621,068,791,473.06. To read that figure, you first need to count the number of figures between the commas to grasp whether you are in billions or millions. Then decide whether you are dealing with tens or hundreds of billions, which makes the transcription difficult.

Please take your jobs seriously. You are employed to make the governor look good through his image. You committed blunder in his first official outing.

As for the Edo APC Chairman, thuggery has limits as you'd soon learn from this lawsuit.

Kunlelee:
That APC man talks too much and we all know is eye service.

mrrandomguy:
Some of these law firms pay graduates less than ₦50,000 per month salary.

mrrandomguy:
Some of these law firms pay graduates less than ₦50,000 per month salary.

ogugwa1992:
https://leaders.ng/2024/12/18/banwo-ighodalo-to-sue-apc-chairman-over-defamatory-allegations-against-asue-ighodalo/

emkz:
Very good.

He accused Asue Ighodalo of stealing billions.

From where did Asue steal billions? Governor Monday Okpebholo struggled to read figures, which was understandable. The APC Chairman could have said there was an error in not writing the amount in words which would be rectified in future. But he decided to argue that the governor could not read because he was not a thief like Asue and Obaseki who had stolen billions.

As for those who speak for governors or prepare speeches, please take the job seriously. You can read books and watch videos on how to write a speech. The mistake was glaring. Write everything in words. In primary school, we started learning how to write figures in words. You can write six hundred and twenty-one billion naira or 621 billion instead of 621,068,791,473.06. To read that figure, you first need to count the number of figures between the commas to grasp whether you are in billions or millions. Then decide whether you are dealing with tens or hundreds of billions, which makes the transcription difficult.

Please take your jobs seriously. You are employed to make the governor look good through his image. You committed blunder in his first official outing.

As for the Edo APC Chairman, thuggery has limits as you'd soon learn from this lawsuit.

Arabk25:
Foolish man how can you sue people that controls the judiciary?

mrrandomguy:
Some of these law firms pay graduates less than ₦50,000 per month salary.

emkz:
Very good.

He accused Asue Ighodalo of stealing billions.

From where did Asue steal billions? Governor Monday Okpebholo struggled to read figures, which was understandable. The APC Chairman could have said there was an error in not writing the amount in words which would be rectified in future. But he decided to argue that the governor could not read because he was not a thief like Asue and Obaseki who had stolen billions.

As for those who speak for governors or prepare speeches, please take the job seriously. You can read books and watch videos on how to write a speech. The mistake was glaring. Write everything in words. In primary school, we started learning how to write figures in words. You can write six hundred and twenty-one billion naira or 621 billion instead of 621,068,791,473.06. To read that figure, you first need to count the number of figures between the commas to grasp whether you are in billions or millions. Then decide whether you are dealing with tens or hundreds of billions, which makes the transcription difficult.

Please take your jobs seriously. You are employed to make the governor look good through his image. You committed blunder in his first official outing.

As for the Edo APC Chairman, thuggery has limits as you'd soon learn from this lawsuit.

ZaddyJ:
An average edo man is known to do that eye service job wella and in the end anyhow .
I ve worked with them at the edo state government house benin .