By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has been served with a seven-day ultimatum to retract an alleged defamatory statement, issue a public apology and pay ₦50 billion in damages to Com. Abayomi Arabambi, or face legal action.
The demand is contained in a 13-page pre-action letter dated July 3, 2026, written by Neplus Ultra Attorneys on behalf of Arabambi, the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the Labour Party.
The dispute stems from comments Obi allegedly made during an interview on the Nevon Media Podcast, where he reportedly stated that Arabambi “does not have an address” while responding to questions about why he had not instituted legal proceedings against the Labour Party chieftain.
In the letter addressed to Obi at the NDC National Secretariat in Abuja, Arabambi’s legal team described the statement as false, malicious and defamatory, insisting their client is a well-known public figure with established residential and business addresses.
The lawyers stated that the publication had been widely circulated across television and social media platforms, causing serious damage to their client’s reputation.
“Our Client has had a known residential and business address, maintains professional and political affiliations within Nigeria and has never been a person whose whereabouts or identity were unknown to members of the public,” the letter read.
According to the solicitors, the remark portrayed Arabambi as “a faceless and unidentifiable person,” lacking legitimacy, credibility and public standing.
They argued that reasonable viewers interpreted Obi’s statement to mean that Arabambi “is a faceless and unidentifiable person; has no known place of residence; lacks any legitimate standing in public life; is a person of doubtful identity; is unworthy of public confidence; and is undeserving of the esteem, confidence and respect hitherto enjoyed by him.”
The legal team further maintained that the interview reached millions of viewers and was extensively republished across digital platforms, worsening the alleged reputational damage.
“The publication has since enjoyed extensive circulation through television broadcasts, online news platforms, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp and other electronic media, thereby substantially amplifying the injury occasioned to Our Client’s reputation,” the letter stated.
The lawyers accused Obi, who is the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), of acting with recklessness and malice, arguing that, as a former presidential candidate and prominent public figure, he ought to have appreciated the consequences of his words.
“Your statement was not made in error. Neither was it made innocently. It was made deliberately during a widely viewed political interview with full appreciation of the influence your words would carry among millions of Nigerians,” the solicitors wrote.
Describing reputation as “an invaluable asset,” the lawyers added that the law protects citizens from false publications capable of exposing them to public ridicule and contempt.
“Our Client has suffered considerable embarrassment, humiliation and injury to his reputation. The defamatory publication has impaired his standing in political and social circles, exposed him to unwarranted public ridicule and subjected him to needless attacks upon his integrity and personality,” the letter added.
As part of its demands, Arabambi’s legal team requested that Obi issue “a clear, unequivocal and unconditional retraction” on the Nevon Media Podcast or another national television platform of similar prominence.
They also demanded “a full, unconditional and unreserved public apology” to be aired on national television, published on Obi’s verified social media accounts and carried as full-page advertisements in The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian, THISDAY and The Nation newspapers, subject to prior approval by their chambers.
In addition, the lawyers demanded payment of ₦50 billion “as compensation for the grave injury occasioned to his reputation, dignity, integrity, political standing and public image.”
The letter further directed Obi to preserve all materials relating to the interview, including video and audio recordings, transcripts, correspondence, digital metadata and social media posts, warning that any destruction or alteration of evidence could be brought before the court.
It warned that if Obi fails to comply within seven days, legal proceedings would be instituted seeking a declaration that the statement was defamatory, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction restraining further publication of similar statements, interest on monetary awards and the cost of litigation.
The lawyers described the demand letter as Obi’s “final opportunity to resolve this matter amicably” before court proceedings commence.
