The Legal Counsel to the Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC Youth leader, Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, (Esq), has threatened to institut a N200 million suit on behalf of his client, Comrade Tony Kabaka against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Asue Ighodalo Spokesperson, Darlington Okpebholo over alleged defamation of character.
Ogbankwa in a letter said he has been instructed by his client upon being briefed to commence a legal proceeding in court against the lead Spokesperson of Asue Ighodalo/PDP campaign organization for the Edo 2024 Gubernatorial Elections, Darlington Okpebholo.
He alleged that in a viral live broadcast of Channels TV programme-Political Paradigm made very damaging comments about the person and reputation of Comrade Tony Kabaka.
In a letter made available to newsmen also demanded an immediate retraction and compensation
The letter reads, ” That in your interview on the programme-Political Paradigm on Channels Television on the 20th of August, 2024, with Terry Ikumi, you made a very damaging statement about the character and person of Comrade Tony Kabaka , when you in a very damaging way about his character, you stated inter alia as follows :
“If an Honourable member could come to Nigerian National Television and a station that is being viewed by the whole world that Tony Kabaka who is a known tout and a very notorious one at that , who boasts on videos and everywhere that he is touting gun and everywhere that he is and he does all the kind of criminality in Edo State that he is a Youth of APC in Edo State he has continued to boasts that he is the head of the tigers and lions in Edo State if a Honourable Member could come to national tv and say Tony kabaka, a man that has been known for violence in time you cannot even remember way back in the early 2000s from one Government to another, a celebrated one at that who lives and feeds and become whatever he has become today through violence , through criminalities of all sort, I wonder what kind of Honourable we are having now” (sic) .
“That your statement about our client has brought him to odium and opprobrium in the eyes of right thinking members of the public as our client has received several calls from all over the world inquiring about the false and gross misrepresentation of facts about our client’s persons, which said defamation has lowered our client’s reputation and esteem in the eyes of right thinking members of the public and same has caused our client huge psychology trauma.
“That our client is a business man whose businesses spans from hospitality, real estate, oil and gas and transportation and the Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from your party destroyed our client’s hotel that employed over a hundred staff at that time.
“That your comment against our client is uncharitable , uncouth , demeaning of his person, reputation and family name and unacceptable for which our client hereby demand that you retract same within the next 48 hours as same is online on YouTube , Facebook , WhatsApp, Instagram and other Social Media Platforms and for which we demand the sum of N200,000,000:00 from you and your principal Asue Ighodalo, the PDP Candidate for the Edo State 2024 Governorship election .
“Failure of which we have the firm instructions of our client to proceed against you and your principal Asue Ighodalo through the legal means which would include but is not limited to filling a suit against you and your principal in a court of competent jurisdiction, following the principle of Agency as it is the law that “qui facit per alium facit per se”-he who does something through another , does it himself”.
