The Special Advisor on Communication and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has been given 72 hours by Peter Obi, the Labour Party's (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, to pay N5 billion in damages and issue a public apology for libel and defamation that will be published in four national newspapers, or face legal action.

Obi insisted that Mr. Onanuga take back the outrageous accusation that he was connected to the August large demonstration.

Remember how the Presidential Spokesman asserted on July 20, 2024, using his X handle @aonanuga1956, that Obi should be held accountable for the chaos and that Peter Ob's supporters were the ones preparing mayhem in Nigeria.

The allegation, which was widely publicized in social and mainstream media and read by many both inside and outside the country, maligned Obi's hard-earned reputation as a man who indulges in violence when all of his prior experiences demonstrate that he abhors violence even in the face of extreme provocation. Obi made this claim through his attorney, Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN of the MADIBA Chambers.

"Our client believes that the publication was a planned scheme to disparage, mock, shame, and embarrass him in the eyes of every rational member of society," the legal representative wrote.

The letter went on to say that since well-wishers from all over the world have flooded Obi with messages of shock, the accusation may have succeeded in its petty goal.

"Despite being referred to as "Okwute" or "the Rock," our client has suffered significant emotional harm as a result of the scandalous and insulting publication, especially considering his exceptional career management in both public and private life. As a result, we have our clients' mandate that you withdraw the statement published in the publication and offer him an unconditional apology within 72 hours of receiving this letter in at least four national newspapers, including your verified X"@aonanuga1956.