“Governor’s ‘Mummy’ Remark Sparks Libel Suit” — Ondo Commissioner Drags 35 APC Leaders To Court

The Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Omowunmi Isaac, and her brother, Kunle Odide, have filed a libel suit against 35 leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state over an allegedly defamatory publication.

The suit, instituted before the Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, came up before Justice Yemi Fasanmi on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

During the proceedings, the claimants sought permission to amend defects in their originating court processes, prompting the court to award costs of ₦100,000 in favour of each of the 35 defendants.

The costs, amounting to ₦3.5 million, were awarded against the claimants following the amendment application.

The defendants also indicated their intention to file preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the court and the competence of the suit.

Justice Fasanmi subsequently adjourned the case until October 8, 2026, for further hearing.

The defendants are APC leaders from the same local government area as the claimants.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, a former Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adekola Olawoye, SAN, who is the first defendant and represents himself and some of the other defendants, said the respondents were willing to explore an out-of-court settlement.

Olawoye said the dispute arose from a letter he wrote to the National Chairman of the APC in his capacity as a member of the party.

According to him, the letter was a legitimate internal communication privately addressed to the party’s national leadership and was never intended for circulation among members of the public.

He said the letter merely drew the party leadership’s attention to developments within their local government area.

The former attorney-general disclosed that Isaac and Odide subsequently petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, leading to the invitation of the defendants to Abuja in March 2025.

He said the police neither detained nor prosecuted any of the respondents following their appearance and consideration of the petition.

Counsel to the claimants, Olaoluwa Imoru, however, said the suit arose from an allegedly defamatory publication authored by the defendants and published in the Nigerian Tribune on February 2, 2026.

Counsel to the claimants, Olaoluwa Imoru, however, said the suit arose from an allegedly defamatory publication authored by the defendants and published in the Nigerian Tribune on February 2, 2026.

Imoru said one of the statements in the publication described the finance commissioner as the “mummy” of Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

According to the lawyer, the description falsely portrayed Isaac as wielding undue influence over the governor and was capable of lowering her reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.

He maintained that the publication was defamatory, disparaging and damaging to the reputations of both claimants.

The claimants are asking the court to declare the publication defamatory and award aggravated, special and general damages for the alleged injury to their reputations.

They are also seeking a public retraction of the publication and an apology from the defendants.