Defamation: Governor Monday Okpebholo Threatens Legal Action Against PDP Chieftains

By Chinedu Echianu

Edo state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has issued a five-day notice to Chris Osa Nehikhare, Edo State Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a Chieftain of the party, Mr. Shedrach Udugbai to immediately tender an unreserved apology to him (Okpebholo) following what the governor described as defamatory remarks made by them at various times and on different platforms.

While Nehikhare is accused of making defamatory and unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor through a press release on the 19th of March, 2025 captioned; “Edo PDP Condemns N200M Bribery Plot to Buy Defection of Each Assembly Member…” and “Senator Monday Okpebholo Has Summoned All Councillors From the 18 Local Councils of Edo State, In a Desperate Attempt to Woo Them With N20M Each To Decamp to The All Progressives Congress,” Udugbai was said to have defamed the Governor while appearing on “This Morning on ITV” a program aired on Benin based independent television (ITV) on the 13th of March 2025 where he made similar allegations against the governor.

A pre-action notice signed by the Governor’s legal representatives, Blessing Agbomhere Esq. and Taiwo Elizabeth Olorunfemi Esq., both of Blessing Agbomhere and Partners said the defamatory comments could be construed to mean that the governor is a dishonorable man who engages in bribery and corruption and deals callously with the common wealth of Edo state.

Governor Okpebholo’s legal representatives lamented that the wide broadcast of the said press release and interview including on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, significantly amplified the reach and impact of the defamatory comments, resulting in consequential harm to him. They insisted that the allegations are wholly false and a calculated attempt to damage the Governor’s hard-earned reputation.

Governor Okpebholo through his lawyers lamented that since the publication of the said defamatory statement, he has been inundated with calls from friends, political associates and other well-meaning Nigerians locally and in diaspora inquiring as to the propriety of the allegations, thereby exposing him to great distress, hurt and humiliation, adding that he neither solicited nor possessed any prior knowledge of the lawmakers’ defection.

As a form of remedy, the legal team of Blessing Agbomhere and Partners urged the PDP Chieftains to procure the recording and publishing of a retraction of the defamatory statements made in relation to the Governor which should be published through the same platform that the defamatory statements were made and all social media platforms and issue a letter of apology to the governor, published in two dailies circulating in Edo State and the entire Nigeria within five days of the receipt of the notice or face legal action.