Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has tendered an apology to the acting National Chairman and the acting National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagun and Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Adeyanju’s apology comes after he made alleged defamatory statements against Damagun and Anyanwu during a podcast interview. In the interview, Adeyanju accused Damagun of serving tea and Anyanwu of serving ‘Kilishi’ in the house of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The human rights lawyer also claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Damagun are Tinubu’s moles in the PDP.
Damagun and Anyanwu had threatened to drag Adeyanju to court for civil and criminal litigation over the alleged defamatory remarks. However, in a letter dated December 6, Adeyanju’s law firm, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, retracted the statements and apologized for any harm caused.
The letter, signed by Zainab Otega, stated that the “statements were not intended to defame your clients.” Otega maintained that any perception of defamation in the said statements is regretted and withdrawn with apologies.
The letter reads, “We are solicitors to Deji Adeyanju, Esq (hereinafter referred to as our client), on whose instruction we act.
“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 Damagun and Anyanwu, the National Chairman and Secretary of the PDP respectively.
“Our client’s statements on the podcast were taken out of the bigger context of the conversation which is the need for the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party to provide a virile opposition to the ruling party.
“These statements were not intended to defame your clients, and any perception of defamation in the said statements is regretted and withdrawn with apologies.
“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.”