By Jethro Ibileke
Almost 12 months after an alleged defamation and libelous publication against his person, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has demanded a sum of ₦25 billion in compensation from the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi.
The Governor also demanded an apology from Aziegbemi to be published in three national dailies, which must include Vanguard, The Guardian, and any other one.
Okpebholo made the demands in a letter dated December 22, 2025, signed by his counsel, R.I.D Okezie, Esq, and titled: “Demand for damages and apologies for defamation of the character of the executive Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo.”
He gave the PDP chairman seven days ultimatum to pay the ₦25 billion damages and also to publish a retraction on three national dailies.
Okezie, who urged Dr Aziegbemi to treat the letter as urgent, noted that failure to fulfil the demands at the stipulated time, threatened that his client would not hesitate to commence legal proceedings against him in any court of his choice in the country.
He said the ₦25 billion is for the compensation for the damage the PDP chieftain allegedly inflicted on the Governor’s reputation through his various press releases.
The letter read in part: “Our client’s attention has recently been drawn to a press release by you as the Factional Chairman of Edo State PDP, Caretaker Committee on the 7th January, 2025, which has been published by several newspapers in Nigeria and on-line news organizations wherein you repeatedly disparaged the reputation and character of our client and the high office he occupies in this State.
“In the said publication, you published the following words to disparage and ridicule the good reputation and image of our client, which he has meticulously built over the years as a responsible politician, dating back to his days as a Senator in the Nigerian National Assembly, he said.
Okezie, however, reproduced the press statements credited to the opposition party’s statement chairman, thus:
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the recent statements by the Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholor, where he made spurious and baseless claims to justify the lawlessness, extermination of democracy, and brutal attack on the State’s 18 local councils as executed by his clueless.
“We want to categorically state that the unfounded allegations are a blatant lie and should be disregarded as a cocktail of complete falsehoods.
“The resort to unintelligent lies and falsehoods just another failed attempt by the governor-select to mislead the public and distract from his government’s blatant disregard for the rule of law, illegality, and ongoing democracy in the state.
“We are aware that the governor-elect is desperate to get access to the local council’s treasury to reward godfathers and settle political debts he incurred during the last governorship election, and is exploring every opportunity to achieve this devious plan.
“Having failed in the illegal suspension of the council chairmen, he is now sending thugs and non-state actors to attack council headquarters, kidnap councillors, and force them into impeaching the duly elected council chairmen.
“He is desperately looking for an excuse to justify this illegality and lawlessness and has decided to point accusing fingers at the PDP to mask his ignoble acts, he alleged.
The legal practitioner also alleged that the published press statements portrayed his client (Governor Okpebholo) as not intelligent, a liar, and a lawless man who uses thugs in the course of his official duties.
He further alleged that the publications portrayed the governor as a very violent person who employs the services of non-state actors in performing his official functions, a lawless and unlawful person, a very fraudulent person, and not elected but selected as Governor of Edo State.
He opined that the reproduced press releases are highly libelous and have thoroughly exposed his client (Okpebholo) to public hatred, odium, and opprobrium.
“In addition, they have brought the reputation and image jealously built by our client over the years to the lowest estimation of the reasonable and responsible citizens of this state and beyond,” he added.
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