The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has asked for the payment of N500m from the Vice-Chairman of the party in the North-West, Salihu Lukman, over alleged libel.
Omisore said the attempt to malign his hard-earned reputation would not work.
Lukman had in an interview on AIT made some weighty allegations over misappropriated funds during the Osun State governorship election last year.
Omisore and Lukman, who are both members of the national working committee (NWC) of the ruling party, have been at loggers over funds meant for the party which was allegedly not accounted for during the Osun State governorship election.
In a twist, while speaking during an interview on AIT, Lukman called on Omisore to resign from his position.
The APC vice chairman accused Omisore of mismanaging campaign funds meant for the Osun State election which the APC lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, “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.”
In a letter dated March 15 and addressed to Lukman, counsel to the APC national secretary, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) said Lukman’s comment is false and was aimed at maligning Omisore’s character.
‘We’re almost ready’
The APC Secretary through his legal counsel threatened to drag Lukman to court if he fails to apologise and pay N500m.
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 libellous 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 N500m 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.”
It is worthy of note that despite huge funds generated from the sales of the fund during the preparations for the General Election by the party, no account has been rendered by the party accentuating the facts in the public domain that there is a clandestine move by some highly placed party leaders to take advantage of the resources of the party without giving a proper account of these funds.
