Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, has issued a formal apology to the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, and the acting National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, over alleged defamatory remarks.
The apology was conveyed in a letter dated December 6, authored on Adeyanju’s behalf by Zainab Otega of Deji Adeyanju & Partners. The letter was addressed to Johnson Usman, SAN, legal counsel for Damagum and Anyanwu.
According to the letter, “Our client received two letters from the law firm of the revered Senior Advocate of Nigeria, J. J. Usman, alleging that some statements he made on a podcast a few weeks ago were deemed defamatory of Damagum and Anyanwu, the National Chairman and Secretary of the PDP respectively.”
It further stated, “These statements were not intended to defame your clients, and any perception of defamation in the said statements is regretted and withdrawn with apologies.”
The controversy arose after Adeyanju accused Damagum and Anyanwu of being moles for President Bola Tinubu within the PDP. He had claimed, “While Damagum is serving tea, PDP’s National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, goes to the kitchen to serve Kilishi.”
Following these allegations, Damagum and Anyanwu, through their counsel, demanded a retraction and public apology, threatening civil and criminal legal action if their demands were not met.
The apology letter clarified that Adeyanju’s comments were “taken out of the bigger context of the conversation, which is the need for the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to provide a virile opposition to the ruling party.”
Reaffirming his dedication to Nigeria’s progress, Adeyanju stated, “As a human rights activist, our client remains committed to the betterment of Nigeria and will continue to urge those in leadership to prioritise the interest of Nigerians over and above personal interest.”
This development follows intense public scrutiny and the imminent threat of legal action by the PDP leaders.
