Defamation: I owe you no apology, APC chairman replies Ighodalo 

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, on Wednesday, mentioned he stood by his allegation that the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is corrupt and owes him no apology.

Tenebe disclosed this in an announcement issued in Abuja by his lawyer, Dr. Blessing Agbomhere.

Agbomhere, within the letter, mentioned, “We additional wish to state unequivocally that our shopper didn’t defame your shopper in any approach, and as such, there isn’t any want for a public apology or retraction of feedback made within the alleged video.

“But when your shopper decides to stretch this subject additional by going to courtroom, we’ll depend on the defence of justification in accordance with the report of the Edo State Automobile Restoration Committee, whose report indicted your shopper and the preliminary report of the Edo State Asset Verification Committee.”

The Edo APC chair had, in a viral video on tenth December, accused Ighodalo of corruption and misappropriation of state funds within the wake of the gaffe made by Governor Monday Okpebholo throughout the presentation of his N605bn price range estimates to the Edo Home of Meeting.

“I don’t know figures. You see, that’s how you can know authentic and harmless individuals. Obaseki is not going to make such a mistake as a result of he has stolen billions earlier than. Asue Ighodalo is not going to make such a mistake as a result of he has stolen billions earlier than,” Tenebe claimed within the video.

He additionally described Okpebholo’s gaffe as a traditional factor, saying even former South African president Jacob Zuma made the same mistake.

Reacting, Ighodalo’s authorized counsels from Banwo and Ighodalo legislation agency in Lagos had, in a letter to Tenebe dated eleventh December, demanded an apology and quick retraction of the allegation inside seven days.

However the APC chairman snubbed the demand his feedback have been justified following a preliminary report of the Edo State Asset Verification Committee and the Edo State Automobile Restoration Committee that indicted Ighodalo, who was an financial adviser to former Governor Godwin Obaseki for eight years.