₦airaland Forum

Obi’s Litigious Reflexes vs Adeyanju’s Burden of Truth

In what irreverently humorous social media denizens are calling the battle between the “social media president” and the “Temu lawyer” (unflattering epithets to suggest that Peter Obi rules the Nigerian social media space while Deji Adeyanju is a baby lawyer who makes up for his inexperience through loud exhibitionism), Nigerian media law is about to experience a consequential extension of its sedate boundaries if Peter Obi makes good his threat to sue activist Deji Adeyanju.

On August 26, Peter Obi’s legal team sent a pre-litigation letter, signed by Alex Ejesieme, SAN, demanding that Deji Adeyanju delete certain social media posts, issue a full, unreserved public apology on X and Facebook and in three national daily newspapers within seven days, or face litigation.

At one level, Obi’s decision is understandable. Adeyanju has called him a “fraud,” a “religious bigot,” “leader of the mob,” alleged that he “tried to give me money and called it 'thank you for coming'” to buy loyalty, said he misappropriated Anambra State funds to invest in his family business, and even a “scum.”

Such vituperative outbursts are hurtful, even reputationally injurious. Yet, when you scratch the surface of Adeyanju’s posts, some of them rest on verifiable facts. And in libel law, truth is a complete defense.

Take, for instance, Adeyanju’s oft-repeated claim that Obi invested Anambra State’s money in a company his family had stakes in. That is not fabrication.

During a January 30, 2018, presidential townhall debate called “The Candidates” broadcast on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Kadaria Ahmed, the host, asked Obi why, as governor, he invested $30 million of Anambra’s funds in International Breweries.

“I brought International Breweries into Nigeria and as a governor of a state. They built a greenfield facility in the state, and they came to me and said, ‘as our partner, we want you to own 15 per cent of this company,’ and I said to them, ‘No, right now, I am the governor of a state,” Obi said. “I know the future of this brewery, and I want the state to own 10 per cent and since I’m no longer involved in the company, they can own five per cent.’ I put in $30million of state money there. It’s now worth $100million and it’s still there. No other state in this country has such investment.”

(A TheCable report found that the investment was worth only $5.38 million as of June 2022). Although Obi’s family had no direct stakes in International Breweries, it does in SABMiller/AB InBev (via NEXT International Limited, where, according to Premium Times of January 11, 2023, “Mr Obi was listed as a director while his wife, Margaret, served as secretary.) SABMiller/AB InBev was International Breweries’ parent company. Obi himself, in his response to Kadaria, said he was “no longer involved in the company,” which means he was at some point.

Adeyanju’s framing of this as evidence of corruption may be tendentious, but it certainly qualifies as conflict of interest. To sue for defamation here would be to criminalize stating a mere uncomfortable fact, or even restating Obi’s own words.

The same applies to the charge of religious bigotry. On April 1, 2023, Peoples Gazette published an audio recording of Obi speaking with Bishop David Oyedepo. In that call, Obi told the cleric, “Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in places like Kogi and Niger. This is a religious war. Please, Daddy, help us.”

The audio has been verified as authentic by multiple independent fact-checkers, and Peter Obi’s face-saving litigious bravado to sue the news site petered out without action.

If Adeyanju extrapolates from this to say Obi is a religious bigot, he is offering commentary on a verifiable utterance, however unflattering the interpretation may be. Courts in democratic societies have traditionally recognized such commentary as “fair comment.”

There is also the matter of Obi’s offshore holdings exposed in the Pandora Papers investigation by Premium Times. The October 4, 2021, report was unambiguous that Obi broke at least three Nigerian laws by failing to declare assets he stashed abroad, including those held by his children. The law requires a public officer, and a former public officer, to declare all assets, whether held directly or through a company.

Adeyanju has portrayed Obi as a fraud. While the label itself is an insult, its scaffolding is not conjured from thin air; it is anchored in credible investigative journalism alleging violation of tax and asset-declaration laws.

Even more, Obi’s past brushes with allegations of financial impropriety are part of the public record. A July 4, 2009, Vanguard report, for instance, said police in Lagos intercepted ₦250 million in cash at then Governor Peter Obi’s private office in Apapa after a tip-off from one of his aides.

The money, transported in jeeps, was initially guarded until Obi arrived, and upon inspection was found stacked in suitcases. Obi said it belonged to the Anambra State government and was meant for a contractor who requested cash, though he couldn’t explain why it wasn’t paid via cheque or draft.

The cash was later deposited into Anambra State’s government account, but suspicions grew because the contractor never appeared, and Obi traveled abroad soon after. The Inspector-General of Police ordered the Force CID to investigate possible money laundering and vowed to fully uncover the circumstances behind the movement of the funds.

Although Obi denied wrongdoing, the story complicates any claim that it is defamatory to question his financial probity. Adeyanju hasn’t invoked this incident, but if sued, he could legitimately enter it into evidence to support his contention that Obi has a checkered financial history.

All this is not to say Adeyanju is free of overreach. His claim that Obi “pays all influencers online” is an assertion of fact without any supporting evidence. Likewise, his unrestrained declaration that Obi is “always a scum” cannot be tied to any verifiable occurrence. These are reckless personal insults masquerading as critique.

If Obi wants to pursue defamation on narrow grounds, such statements present his strongest case, although Adeyanju’s lawyer could argue that these are mere rhetorical hyperboles.

As I pointed out in previous past columns, Nigerian law protects opinion, even when harsh or insulting, if expressed in the heat of passion. Courts have ruled in cases like Bakare v. Ishola and Ibeanu v. Uba that calling someone a thief or ex-convict in anger amounts to “vulgar abuse,” not defamation.

Judges hold that such insults are commonly understood in our national culture as expressions of anger, not factual claims, similar to what’s known as rhetorical hyperbole in U.S. media law.

Still, the broader question is whether a politician of Obi’s stature should be suing in the first place. As I argued in an October 10, 2020, column titled, “Litigious Terrorism of Ortom, el-Rufai, Fani-Kayode and Osinbajo,” prominent politicians who sue private citizens are cowards who derive strength from intimidating weaker targets and who treasure the privileges of being in the public eye but chafe at the scrutiny that comes with it.

Defamation suits by public figures often function as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are intended not so much to win damages as to deter dissent by threatening critics with costly legal defense.

In fact, the more Obi tries to suppress Adeyanju’s speech through litigation, the more he inadvertently validates the suspicion that he has something to hide. The better response would be to counter Adeyanju in the marketplace of ideas, provide clarifications, and, where necessary, admit to mistakes. Litigation only magnifies controversy and risks branding him as intolerant of scrutiny.

Publicly figured the world over are expected to endure harsher criticism than private citizens. That’s the price of seeking the limelight. Nigerian democracy will be ill-served if every unflattering remark about a politician must be tested in court. The role of citizens and activists, even the loudmouthed and provocative ones, is to probe, provoke, and prod. The role of politicians is to answer, not muzzle.

Adeyanju can be uncouth, even defamatory at times. I once vigorously disagreed with him (in defense of Peter Obi, no less) when we appeared on Seun Okinbaloye’s show after the 2023 election.

But in this case, a significant portion of his criticisms is traceable to Obi’s own statements and the reporting of credible outlets. If Obi proceeds with litigation, he risks discovery processes in which these documents, reports, and audio leaks will be tendered in open court. That would hardly burnish his reputation.

The wiser course is to acknowledge that public life comes with scrutiny, sometimes unkind, and to save the courts for matters where real injury, unsupported by fact, is evident. Obi’s recourse to litigation feels less like a defense of reputation than an attempt at litigious intimidation. As with others before him, this strategy is unlikely to win him either legal or moral victory.

https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2025/08/obis-litigious-reflexes-vs-adeyanjus.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMgycZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHl_qh0brRHzJo0tsghm6a__hXg48Q0B8qazklNo7veTLLZU8r6kJVTfaxKbw_aem_ZnSrnaesdYMh5RtdjTldBA&m=1

Deji Adeyanju is using Peter Obi's name to grow his social media pages and to become popular. Hence he has to say anything against Obi whether true or false, just to trend.

The online president suing online lawyer.

Is the lawd not wonderful?

The Charge and bail lawyer has gotten the attention he needed.

Agbaya lawyer coming to feed the public with cheap lies

There is nothing anybody can tell me, Obi is as ocial media President and Deji is indeed a Temu Lawyer

Once you are a public/political figure anywhere in the world, you should not be afraid of mud slinging.

Obi would have done better to counter Adeyanju in the court of public opinion, a place where Obi thrives well.

If Adeyanju and his team will be very thorough, the court action will only serve to reveal and confirm many of the issues PO has been accused of.

Obi won’t sue Adeyanju because if he does he knows that this will be injurious to his guarded reputation and will become injurious to his career.

He won’t go toward that line. A lot of Obi enemies are will rise to protect Adeyanju and Obi will fall for the prey.

Adeyanjus words were too raw and provoking but it’s a bait because some of those claims are in the public domain via the attenuation of Obi himself

Obi can only have a case in the said “tried to bribe me” and the bribing of the influencers.

This Farooq lost relevance the moment he wrote articles and later retracted them. He only spews whatever the establishment allowed. A tribal bigot and a bias writer. Under Buhari he wrote so much like an activist but now he just writing to save his career and job. Writing against Obi and pushing his tribal takes under disguise of not taking sides.

Despite all now no one takes him serious. He sold his career for partisan and tribal politics

prominent politicians who sue private citizens are cowards who derive strength from intimidating weaker targets and who treasure the privileges of being in the public eye but chafe at the scrutiny that comes with it

Peter Obi is everything that Deji has called him and more. His attempt to silence free speech with that legal threat will be resisted by all well meaning Nigerians. More people will call him out and he will be the biggest loser.

We all saw how he diverted Anambra state money into his personal business. We all listened to the bigotry in the Yes Daddy audio tape. We are all aware of the N250k stolen from Anambra State and found in his house. The Pandora paper is there. So, what damages is such a discredited character claiming? Can a shameless man be shamed again with what is already in the public domain?

Obi is a fraud that Deji understands very well. Fake recognises fake.

Deal with the truth.

Well analysed by farrooq . I couldn't agree more .

My view is so valid then

casdoruche:
This Farooq lost relevance the moment he wrote articles and later retracted them. He only spews whatever the establishment allowed. A tribal bigot and a bias writer. Under Buhari he wrote so much like an activist but now he just writing to save his career and job. Writing against Obi and pushing his tribal takes under disguise of not taking sides.

Despite all now no one takes him serious. He sold his career for partisan and tribal politics

Same can be said about Deji. His romance with Peter Obi while writing against Tinubu.

There is nothing Deji Adeyanju said against Peter Obi that Peter Obi or his followers did not say or even worse to Tinubu.

The problem is that Obi and his followers cannot stomach a fraction of what they dish out.

It is good that they are exposed.

Reno did More than this, yet people are still loving peter obi en-mass. So nothing new in all of this trash.

Election time is getting close. The way dem go take open this guy yaunsh eeh, his followers go deny am like he never existed. 🤣🤣

A strategy for election is distraction.

During Arise News presidential debate that Tinubu was wise enough to stay away from, Dino Melaye taunted Obi until Obi lost his cool.

Towards 2027, Deji Adeyanju is taunting Obi and Obi is falling for it.

Obi has not controlled his politics, Obi's politics has controlled him.

Obidients insult Tinubu daily with unprintable and despicable names, but the moment anyone scrutinizes their self-appointed messiah and Agulu savior, they quickly brand such a person a hater, tribalist, or paid agent. Were they also paid to insult Tinubu? They must learn to take what they freely dish out to others. Nothing but pure hypocrisy.

Nice read. In my opinion I wouldn't want Obi to take this further and I would also like if there's a way to restrain the temu lawyer from further injurious statements against Obi.

helinues:
The online president suing online lawyer.

Is the lawd not wonderful?

Honestly is a wonderful God.

Peter Obi invited me during the 2023 campaign and offered me money, but I turned it down.

- Deji Adeyanju speaks on "SAINT" Peter Obi's threat to sue him for defamation.
- May our enemies fight themselves for us to move forward.... Amin

If Peter Obi sues Deji Adeyanju nothing will come out of it because Nigeria's judiciary is already compromised and a branch of the Presidency whom Deji Adeyanju is now working for indirectly. They will extort the situation and at the end throw the case into the dustbin.


Whereas if Nigeria was a working nation with working and neutral judiciary, Deji Adeyanju will definitely be found guilty of two to three counts of character defamation and I will point them out.


1, Deji Adeyanju lied against Peter Obi by saying that Peter Obi offered him bribe and he rejected it.

Aisha Yesufu did raised a post asking Deji to come forward with explanation of how Peter Obi gave him bribe but Deji Adeyanju is now backtracking and soft pedaling by saying Obi tried to give him an envelope as a thank you for coming, in a real nation with working legal system, Deji Adeyanju is already guilty of count one.


2, Deji Adeyanju called Peter Obi a fraud, he must present verifiable evidence to prove this not some hearsay publications.

The 250million cash found with Peter Obi's aide when he was Anambra Governor is laughable, so if a Governor wants to loot money, it is 250million naira he would loot when Ibori looted over $200million? It's laughable lol. Okay let's even assume he wanted to steal 200million Naira from Anambra state as Governor.


As at that time, Anambra's State Assembly was controlled by opposition party PDP, they even set up a committee to indict Peter Obi on this case, the committee did a thorough investigation with Nigerian Police, EFCC, etc and at the end they released an official statement that no fraud was committed that it was truly money meant for a contractor. This is on national dailies, Google it and read.


As for the Pandora papers. Peter Obi owned a private business in the UK that made him billions via Next companies he owned while he lived in UK. So when Peter Obi wanted to join Nigerian politics, Obi shutdown Next, gathered the money and set up a foreign account in a tax free nation also known as Tax haven and used his children to invest the money in the tax haven so that the money won't be reducing yearly through heavy taxation, Peter Obi has no single stake in the money anymore. So Peter Obi transferred the wealth he made in UK to his daughter and had no more stake in it.


So he came back and joined Naija politics and later became Governor.


Nigerian constitution demands that someone contesting for Governor, President, etc declare their assets, Obi declared the assets in his name, our law does not compel you to declare assets owned by your children or one jointly owned. Even at that, Tinubu have never declared his asset, Buhari did his partially, many Governors and Presidents refuse but Pete Obi declared his personally owned assets except this very money he invested in a foreign country through his kids which is more like he has now transferred the wealth to his children before joining politics. So there is no wrongdoing here, no legal system can find you guilty of tax evasion on this because the wealth has been transferred.


On the issue of investing Anambra money in International Breweries, a South-Africa and British owned brewery Obi pleaded to come to Anambra to invest and they gave him conditions and he told them no, that instead of him investing, it should be Anambra state the state they are coming to invest.


Where is the issue?

That Obi owned some shares with SabMiller, a sub-group of International Breweries? A share he bought many years ago before he became Anambra Governor?


Una no well.


Peter Obi should leave you guys to continue to enjoy your failed and corrupt leaders abeg, Nigeria is clearly irredeemable, simple!

seunmsg:
Obi’s Litigious Reflexes vs Adeyanju’s Burden of Truth



https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2025/08/obis-litigious-reflexes-vs-adeyanjus.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMgycZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHl_qh0brRHzJo0tsghm6a__hXg48Q0B8qazklNo7veTLLZU8r6kJVTfaxKbw_aem_ZnSrnaesdYMh5RtdjTldBA&m=1

The articles confirm all what Deji said to prove right. Cos their is evidence to all deji accusation.

What if Obi was Tinubu himself n his urchins insult everyday he would have drag all Nigeria to Court.

Person wey no fit take insult dey insult people.

You carry state money enter your personal account cos u be gov
This guy na thief

Obi doesn't need to bring himself down to adeyanjus level. They are not mates in anything. The temu lawyer is just trying to score cheap publicity points and Obi knows that.
Since Obi turned him down, he has been unable to live with the rejection, he is always in constant pain...

The useless bot or mod with emotional issues will not ban all these people insulting Obi up and down, but when you counter them and give them a taste of their own medicine, they will rush to restrict your account. Shameless

Is it not better that Obi and Adeyanju settle this out of court?

NAH DEM DEM...NO DIFFERENCE

FFK, LAI MOHD, ABURE, APAPA, ARABAMBI,KPEROGI,DEJI, BWALA, JOE IGBOKWE, ADESINA ETC

THEY STAND FOR NOTHING.... THEY DONT STAND FOR OPPRESSOR, THEY DONT STAND FOR THE OPPRESSED

THEY ALWAYS STAND FOR MONEY AND ONLY MONEY

Pompoma:
Deji Adeyanju is using Peter Obi's name to grow his social media pages and to become popular. Hence he has to say anything against Obi whether true or false, just to trend.

We will let the court decide whether Anambra accounts were stored in a bank where he has an interest.


The Caribbean account will also be brought to court.

ChiefOloye:
There is nothing anybody can tell me, Obi is as ocial media President and Deji is indeed a Temu Lawyer

Lmao . Truly . That Temu lawyer thing can pain sha .

Obi , if he is truly a leader , should have restrained the obidient movement and consolidated on the wins of 2023. It is insulting to people’s sensibilities when they get attacked because of tribe despite voting for Obi . I have been accused directly of voting for Tinubu just because I am Yoruba . It hurts because I waited for over 12 hours in the sun to vote for Obi .

Obidients have done more damage to Obi than the Temu Laywer 🤣 will ever do