Damagun and Anyanwu Threaten Legal Action Against Deji Adeyanju Over Defamation Claims
Umar Damagun, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP’s Acting National Secretary, have both issued legal threats to rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, accusing him of making defamatory statements against them.
Through their lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Johnson Usman, both Damagun and Anyanwu demanded that Adeyanju retract his statements and issue public apologies in national newspapers and on various social media platforms to avoid a legal confrontation.
In separate letters addressed to Adeyanju, dated December 4 and 5, respectively, Damagun and Anyanwu outlined their intentions to pursue civil and criminal actions over the alleged defamatory remarks. The letters, which were delivered and acknowledged by Adeyanju, were made public by the PDP on Thursday.
One of the letters, titled “Demand for Immediate Retraction of Defamatory Statements Made Against Amb. Umar Iliya Damagun, Acting National Chairman of PDP on Social Media Platforms,” accused Adeyanju of deliberately making inflammatory comments to damage the reputations of Damagun and Anyanwu.
The allegations focused on remarks made by Adeyanju during a podcast interview. The lawyer representing Damagun and Anyanwu, Israel Ujah, claimed Adeyanju referred to Damagun as a “tea man” who serves tea at the home of Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and labeled Anyanwu a “Kilishi Man” who serves the popular Nigerian delicacy at Gbajabiamila’s residence. Ujah further accused Adeyanju of describing the current PDP leadership as being under the influence of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, thus undermining the party’s ability to serve as a credible opposition.
Ujah stated that Adeyanju’s comments were aimed at tarnishing the public image of both Damagun and Anyanwu, diminishing their popularity among party supporters and the public at large. He added that the remarks were intended to create political and psychological harm, calling the statements unsubstantiated and defamatory.
“Your narrative, particularly regarding the PDP National Chairman ‘serving tea’ at Femi Gbajabiamila’s house, is a metaphorical attack on the PDP’s failure to challenge the current government effectively,” Ujah wrote. “These comments were designed to damage our client’s reputation and stain his political career.”
The letters demanded that Adeyanju publicly retract his statements and issue an apology within three days, warning that failure to comply would result in both civil and criminal lawsuits.
“If you fail to comply, we will be left with no choice but to pursue all available legal remedies to protect our client’s rights,” Ujah warned, emphasizing that the legal actions would be accompanied by public attention.
The legal threat underscores the rising tensions within the PDP and highlights the use of defamation claims as a tool to address political disputes.
