Dennis Idahosa, the All Progressives Congress, APC, deputy governorship candidate for the September 21, 2024 election in Edo State, has filed a N2.15 billion libel suit against Olu Martins, the Deputy Director General, Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship campaign council.
Idahosa, in the suit, accused Martins of authoring an article that portrayed him as a fraudster.
It had been reported that the incumbent lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency instituted the suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The case with the suit number CS/2259/24 was filed May 3, 2024 by Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, counsel to the claimant.
In the suit, Idahosa demanded N2 billion as general, punitive, aggravated and exemplary damages from the Martins for a libelous and malicious publication against him.
The APC deputy gpvernorship candidate also demanded N15 million, being the cost of the action.
The Federal lawmaker alleged that the defendant published an article in several social media platforms titled, ‘APC GUBER CANDIDATE, OKPEBHOLO MOCKS OSHIOMHOLE AS IDAHOSA RETURNS FROM FOREIGN TRIP’.
He said the article, published on May 2, 2024 is libelous and discredited his personal and political reputation in the eyes of the general public.
Idahosa, as a result, prayed the court for a declaration that the content of the publication made vide various whatsapp group chat pages, facebook and other social media outlets by the defendant is libelous and malicious.