Peter Obi Drags Activist Deji Adeyanju to Court Over Alleged Defamatory Social Media Posts
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has commenced legal proceedings against political activist Mr. Deji Adeyanju over a series of alleged defamatory publications circulated on social media.
Acting through his solicitors, Ejesimen & Co. (Madiba Chambers), led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Alex Ejesieme, Obi alleges that Adeyanju repeatedly made false and injurious statements about him in public discourse and on various online platforms. The originating process demands an immediate public retraction of all such statements, alongside an unreserved written apology.
Counsel to Obi contends that this is not the first instance in which Adeyanju has made disparaging remarks against their client. Several prior statements, they allege, are documented and traceable to Adeyanju’s verified social media handles, notably his X (formerly Twitter) account.
The legal notice, as served, outlines specific allegations made by Adeyanju which the claimant’s team describes as “baseless and malicious.” These include claims that Obi diverted Anambra State funds into family businesses, sought to bribe the activist following a private meeting, and exploited religion to manipulate voters during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Obi’s legal team insists that each of these allegations is “false, malicious, and contrived”, asserting that they were calculated to malign his reputation both within Nigeria and internationally, with no factual basis whatsoever.
The letter of demand also highlights Adeyanju’s alleged characterization of Obi as “the leader of a mob” and “a scum”, which, according to the claimant’s counsel, were intentionally designed to portray him as anarchic and divisive in the political space.
Among other reliefs, Obi’s legal representatives are demanding that Adeyanju promptly remove all defamatory publications from his social media channels, issue a public apology to be posted across the same platforms, and publish said apology in at least three widely circulated national newspapers.
The letter warns that failure to comply with these demands within seven days will leave Obi with no option but to file a suit seeking aggravated damages, a perpetual injunction restraining further defamatory acts, and recovery of legal costs. The statement further asserts that the impugned comments have been extensively disseminated, causing substantial harm to the claimant’s reputation and integrity.
