The Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North West, Salihu Lukman, has dismissed the threat by the party’s National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, to sue him for defamation.
Hotnewsdrop reported that Lukman had in an interview on AIT Television on Tuesday, called on Omisore to resign from his position.
Omisore and Lukman, who are both members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party, have been at loggerheads, over the composition of the
Lukman also accused Omisore of mismanaging campaign funds meant for the Osun governorship election which the APC lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He had said: “I’m aware the party has given some campaign funds to Osun which was handled by the national secretary and to some extent, he has either mismanaged it but more importantly, he’s not accounting to anybody and you have to activate the process of accountability.”
But in a letter dated March 15 and addressed to Lukman, counsel to Omisore, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) said Lukman’s comment is false and was aimed at maligning his client’s character.
The APC Secretary through his legal counsel threatened to drag Lukman to court if he fails to apologise and pay 500 million naira within two days.
Oyewole said: “It is clear beyond doubt that your statement and publication was a political ploy with the intent of impugning the reputation and integrity of our client and unjustifiably and unwarrantedly assassinating his character in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.
“Our client has consequently directed us to request for a retraction of your libelous statement and publication and an apology to be published in two major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than 48 hours of the delivery of this letter and also the payment of the sum of N500,000,000 as damages for malicious statement against our client.
“TAKE NOTICE that if you fail to heed the request of our client within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall be constrained to proceed to the court of law against you for exemplary damages for injurious falsehood and malicious statement made of and concerning our client.”
Speaking with Blueprint on Wednesday night, Lukman said he can’t be bullied by Omisore with the letter and the planned libel suit.
He said: “My immediate reaction is that this is an attempt to bully me but I will respond to him properly.”
