National Vice Chairman, North-west of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Mallam Salihu Moh. Lukman, has dismissed threats of a lawsuit made against him by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore over alleged allegation of defamation by the former.
Lukman said the statements he made in his press statements were fact.
In a letter by his lawyers, Lex-Hill City Attorneys, signed by Martins Joseph Esq and addressed to Omisore’s lawyers, Lords Temple, Lukman said the party secretary deserves no apology.
Omisore in a letter to Lukman had claimed that the later defamed him while appearing on an AIT programme over the campaign fund allocated for the last governorship election in Osun state.
The letter reads; “We write as solicitors to Mr. Salihu Mohammed Lukman (‘our Client’) and on whose instructions we write to acknowledge receipt and to reply to your letter dated 15th March 2023 on behalf of Senator Iyiola Omisore.
“In the said letter, you referred to a statement made by our Client in the course of an interview with African Independent Television (‘AIT’) when he featured as a guest in one of their programmes, Jigsaw, hosted by Mr Gbenga Aruleba, which you alleged to have maligned the character of Senator Iyiola Omisore in his personal and political stature in Osun state and in Nigeria.
“It is the opinion of our Client that the statement he issued as a member and national officer of the All Progressives Congress (‘the APC’) is not false, not malicious or made to assassinate the character of your client as you suggested in your letter. The statement was purely a demand by a member of the APC for accountability from its National Secretary.
“Therefore, our Client believes that your client does not deserve any apology for the statement as it is within his constitutional rights as a member to demand accountability from a national officer of the APC, which was built on the premise of accountability.” (Blueprint)
