Tony Osauzo, Benin

The  Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, has instituted N10billion libel suit against David Imuse, the factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State and John Mayaki, Chairman, Edo State APC Media Campaign Council.

Igini, in a separate writ of summons with suit numbers B/555/2020 and B/556/2020  filed yesterday at a Benin High Court by his Counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, is demanding the sum of N5 billion as aggravated damages  each from the APC factional chairman and John Mayaki, respectively.

Joined in the suit, are Vanguard Media Limited, the African Newspaper of Nigeria Plc, the publisher of the Nigeria Tribune and the Sun Publishing Limited as co- defendants. The resident electoral commissioner is also demanding for a full page unreserved apology to be published by the duo in every edition of the Punch Newspapers, Tribune, Guardian and the Sun Newspapers for seven consecutive times commencing not later than seven days after the judgment of  the case. 

Besides, he praying the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies and or servants howsoever called from further publishing same or similar words defamatory against him.

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He alleged that on  August 30, 2020, during the just concluded governorship election campaigns, the APC factional chairman and chairman, Edo State APC Media Campaign Council, addressed journalists at a press conference titled, “Press conference on Governor Godwin Obaseki’s criminal attempt to infiltrate INEC officers like Mr. Mike Igini” in  Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area.

Igini, averred that the press conference which was published in the three national newspapers with different headlines such as , “APC accuses Akwa Ibom REC, Igini of meeting Obaseki secretly, and INEC REC, Igini, plotting with Obaseki to rig election- APC”, was malicious, reckless, mischievous and with intent to destroy his hard- earned reputation.

“The publications have dented the image of the claimant and people who erstwhile held the claimant in high esteem, have lost confidence in him and now avoid him. The claimant states that the defendants’ publications complained of have greatly injured his credit, character, reputation, electoral impartiality and has been brought into hatred, ridicule, odium and contempt of the right thinking members of the society. 

“The claimant states that in consequence of the defendants’ published words, the claimant has been subjected to continuous ridicule and his global electoral integrity as an umpire has been adversely affected and could not be considered for special assignments  in Edo State.”