Political Tension as Commissioner Files Libel Suit Against 35 APC Leaders
- Omowunmi Isaac and her brother filed a libel suit against 35 APC leaders at the Ondo State High Court in Akure
- A judge ordered each claimant to pay N100,000 in costs to each respondent after defects were found in the court processes
- The suit centres on a publication in the Nigerian Tribune that claimants say wrongly portrayed the commissioner as having undue influence over the governor
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Ondo State Commissioner for Finance Omowunmi Isaac and her brother Kunle Odide have filed a libel suit against 35 leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, with proceedings kicking off at the Ondo State High Court in Akure on Tuesday.
Justice Yemi Fasanmi, who presided over the hearing, ordered each claimant to pay N100,000 in costs to each of the 35 respondents after the claimants applied to correct defects in their originating court processes.
Source: Twitter
As reported by TheCable, the respondents signalled their intention to file preliminary objections challenging both the court's jurisdiction and the overall competence of the suit. The case was adjourned to October 8, 2026, for further hearing.
All parties in the dispute, both claimants and respondents, are from the same local government area.
How the dispute began
The former Ondo Attorney-General Adekola Olawoye, who is representing himself alongside some of the other respondents, said the controversy traces back to a letter he wrote to the APC national chairman.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Olawoye said the letter was a legitimate communication made in his capacity as a party member and was never meant for public circulation.
He added that the claimants subsequently petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, which led to the respondents being invited to Abuja in March 2025.
Olawoye said police neither detained nor charged any of them after the invitation, and that attempts to resolve the matter out of court have already been made. He said the respondents remain open to a settlement.
What the claimants are seeking
Counsel to the claimants, Olaoluwa Imoru, told journalists the suit was triggered by a publication in the Nigerian Tribune on February 2, 2026, which he described as defamatory.
He said one passage in the publication referred to Commissioner Isaac as the "mummy" of Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, a description he argued falsely portrayed her as exerting undue influence over the governor.
Imoru said the claimants are asking the court to declare the publication defamatory and to award aggravated, special and general damages for the harm done to their reputation.
They are also seeking a public retraction and a formal apology from the respondents.
Source: Original
Gbajabiamila sues PFIPC’s Adeyemi
Recall that Femi Gbajabiamila filed a defamation suit against PFIPC DG Adeniyi Adeyemi at an FCT High Court over bribery and murder allegations.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu is seeking N10 billion in general damages, N5 billion in aggravated damages, and N200 million in legal costs.
Adeyemi had alleged Gbajabiamila collected a N400 million bribe through a proxy and was linked to the death of an intermediary.
Protest as Ondo governor reappoints SSG
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that a group of Ondo State indigenes publicly challenged the reappointment of Taiwo Fasoranti as SSG after he resigned to contest a 2027 senatorial ticket.
Fasoranti had lost the APC ticket for the Ondo Central Senatorial seat amid allegations of manipulation of the winners' list.
The Ondo Redemption Front raised concerns about the SSG office sitting vacant for months and what that signals about governance under Governor Aiyedatiwa.
Source: Legit.ng
