Posted by Ikedi Ohakim, a former governor of Imo State, has criticized Chikezie Nwadike’s N1 billion defamation and libel case
Ohakim took Nwadike to court, accusing him of acting as a middleman in the illegal transfer of one million dollars in bribe money during the governorship primaries for the Labour Party, LP, in the state.
Nwadike claimed that Ohakim had been manipulated to swing the LP governor’s primary election in the state.
Ohakim, however, said that the claim was untrue, malicious, nasty, and reckless.
On July 4, 2023, Ohakim had his attorney, Aloy Ejimakor, file a lawsuit with the Owerri Division of the High Court of Imo State, bearing the case number HOW/701/2023, alleging that on or around April 23, 2023, Nwadike had recorded an audio in his own voice and released it into viral circulation via WhatsApp. Many people listened to the recording, but it was especially popular in Nigeria and Imo State.
For the court, Dr. Ohakim summarized the contents of the viral audio as follows: “the Defendant made and published the foregoing audio allegations, purporting that the Plaintiff (Ikedi Ohakim) was complicit in and a participant in the conduit used to corruptly channel $1,000,000 bribe which was used to corruptly influence the outcome of the Labour Party gubernatorial primary that was conducted in Imo state recently.”
The action continues with the ex-governor claiming that “the defendant’s utterances as aforesaid were false, malicious, wicked, and reckless and they were heard worldwide, including particularly in Nigeria and Imo State.” Moreover, “the publication and circulation of said audio have seriously injured his fine character, credit, reputation, and integrity.”
Ohakim asked the court to make Nwadike pay him one billion Nigerian naira in exemplary damages for smearing his reputation.
The ex-governor asked the court to rule that Nwadike’s claims in the viral audio are “slanderous, libelous, and defamatory.” Additionally, he requests that the court issue an order “directing the defendant to retract the allegations made on the said audio through another audio of his own making and voice and publish/circulate same in the stream of same WhatsApp Messenger social media platforms.”
The ex-governor also wants a “perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further and forever uttering and publishing the said slanderous and libelous words about or concerning the Plaintiff” and “an order of court directing the Defendant to write and deliver to the Plaintiff, an unreserved letter of apology.”