The National Vice Chairman for the North-West of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has been accused of misusing campaign money for the Osun State governorship race, and the party’s National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has requested N500 million in damages from him.
Moreover, he ordered a 48-hour deadline for the publication of an apology and retraction in two major newspapers and several online news sources.
“I’m aware the party sent certain campaign money to Osun, which were handled by the National Secretary, and to some extent, he has either mishandled it or, more crucially, he’s not accounting to anybody,” he had said. “You have to activate the process of accountability,” he had said.
But, Omisore argued that his accusation has harmed his reputation and integrity in a letter to Lukman dated March 15 and written through his solicitor.
He stated that it was without a shadow of a doubt that Lukman’s comments and publishing were an attempt to undermine his reputation and integrity in the eyes of the people who were of sound mind.
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The party writer insisted that it was an intentional attempt to damage his reputation as a prominent leader in Osun State, the South-West geopolitical region, and Nigeria as a whole.
“Our client has therefore directed us to request a retraction of your libellous statement and publication, an apology to be published in two (2) major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than forty-eight (48) hours of this letter’s delivery, as well as the payment of the sum of N500 million as damages for malicious statement against our client,” the letter reads.
“Take notice that we shall be forced to proceed to the court of law against you for exemplary damages for injurious falsehood and malicious statement made of and concerning our client if you fail to heed the request of our client within forty-eight (48) hours of the receipt of this letter,” the letter reads.
