Crisis rocks APC as Lukman reacts to Omisore over 500m naira demand

Salihu Lukman, the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice chairman for the North West, has disregarded Iyiola Omisore’s threat to sue him for defamation on behalf of the party.
According to the report, Lukman demanded that Omisore step down from his position during an interview on AIT Television on Tuesday.

Omisore and Lukman, both members of the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC), have been at odds over the makeup of the

The Peoples Democratic Party defeated the APC in the Osun governorship election, and Lukman also charged Omisore with misusing campaign funds for that election (PDP).

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“I’m aware the party gave some campaign funds to Osun, which were handled by the national secretary. To some extent, he either mismanaged it or, more importantly, he’s not accounting to anyone. You have to activate the process of accountability,” he had stated.

However, in a letter dated March 15 and addressed to Lukman, Omisore’s legal representative Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) stated that Lukman’s comment was untrue and intended to defame his client.

The APC Secretary threatened to take Lukman to court through his legal representative if he does not accept responsibility and pay 500 million naira within two days.

“It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that your statement and publication was a political ploy with the intent to impugn the reputation and integrity of our client and unfairly and unjustifiably assassinate his character in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public,” Oyewole said.

“Our client has therefore instructed us to demand a retraction of your libelous statement and publication, an apology to be published in two major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than 48 hours of the delivery of this letter, as well as the payment of the sum of N500,000,000 as damages for a malicious statement made against our client.

TAKE NOTICE that we will be forced to file a lawsuit against you for exemplary damages for defamatory and malicious statements made about and about our client if you do not heed their request within 48 hours of receiving this letter.

Wednesday night, Lukman told Blueprint that Omisore cannot bully him with the letter and the upcoming libel lawsuit.

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“This is an attempt to bully me,” he declared, “but I will respond to him appropriately.”