Peter Obi Threatens Legal Action Against Deji Adeyanju Over Alleged Defamation

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has threatened to sue activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju over allegedly defamatory statements made on social media.

In a letter to Adeyanju, Obi’s lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused the activist of spreading false and malicious claims portraying Obi as corrupt, fraudulent, and a religious bigot. According to Obi’s legal team, Adeyanju’s posts—dating back to 2022—aimed to damage Obi’s reputation both locally and internationally.

The allegations included claims that Obi diverted Anambra State funds into family businesses, attempted to bribe Adeyanju after a private meeting, and used religion to influence voters during the 2023 presidential campaign. Obi’s lawyers described the claims as “false, malicious, and contrived,” asserting there was no truth in them.

Obi’s legal team demanded that Adeyanju immediately delete all defamatory posts, issue a public apology across his social media platforms, and publish apologies in three national newspapers. The letter warned that failure to comply within seven days would prompt Obi to file a lawsuit seeking aggravated damages, a restraining injunction, and recovery of legal costs.

Responding to the threat, Adeyanju said he is prepared to meet Obi in court. On his Facebook page, he wrote:

“Just got this letter from Peter Obi the religious bigot demanding a retraction from me. I laughed so hard. I can’t wait to meet him in court finally. A fraud parading himself as a messiah. This same guy called the great Sowore a blackmailer-in-chief. We served his little errand girl Serah a letter to retract all her defamatory publications on Monday against my wife, and she ran to the leader of the mob for help. Can’t wait to meet him in court.”