Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last Edo governorship poll, has issued a pre-litigation demand to Jarrett Tenebe, the Edo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over a widely circulated video alleged to contain defamatory remarks about him.
In a letter dated December 11, 2024, and written by his legal representatives, the gubernatorial candidate alleged that the video sought to tarnish his reputation with false accusations of financial misconduct.
Monday Okpebholo, the new governor of Edo, made headlines earlier this week after a video of him struggling to pronounce the figures in the 2025 budget presented to the state house of assembly earlier this week.
While trying to defend the governor, Tenebe made a video on social media, stating that Okpebholo struggled to pronounce the figures because he is not a “thief” like Godwin Obaseki, the immediate past governor, and Ighodalo.
In the video, reportedly recorded and distributed on December 10, 2024, the APC chairman is quoted as saying, “Obaseki will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before. Asue Ighodalo will not make such a mistake, because he has stolen billions before.”
In the pre-litigation demand, signed by Chinedum Umeche of Banwo & Ighodalo, the legal team emphasised the seriousness of the allegations and the damage caused to Ighodalo’s reputation, both locally and internationally.
“This development has exposed our client to great distress, hurt, and humiliation,” it states, while reserving Ighodalo’s legal rights to seek further remedies.
The letter outlined how the video has been interpreted to mean that Ighodalo is guilty of theft and dishonorable conduct, including manipulating figures with intent to deceive. It asserts that these claims are entirely baseless.
“Our client has not been charged with the offence of stealing or any other offence for that matter, in Nigeria or elsewhere, neither has he been convicted of stealing or any offence,” the letter stated.
The letter demanded that Tenebe take immediate corrective actions which must be completed within seven days of receipt of the pre-litigation demand, including: Recording and publishing a retraction of the video across all platforms where it was shared and issuing a formal letter of apology to Ighodalo.
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