Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued a stern five-day ultimatum to the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Osa Nehikhare, and a fellow party chieftain, Shedrach Udugbai, demanding an immediate and unreserved apology over what he described as reckless and defamatory statements made against him on multiple platforms.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the governor, through his legal team, stated that Nehikhare made baseless and malicious allegations in a press release dated March 19, 2025, titled: “Edo PDP Condemns Okpebholo’s N200m Bribery Ploy to Buy Defection of Each Assembly Member, Reckless Misappropriation of State Resources.”
Additionally, Nehikhare alleged that Governor Okpebholo had summoned all councillors from Edo’s 18 local councils, offering them two million naira each to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The governor also stated, through his counsel, that Shedrach Udugbai is accused of spreading similar defamatory claims while appearing on This Morning on ITV, a program aired on Benin-based Independent Television (ITV) on March 13, 2025.
According to the statement, Udugbai alleged that the governor had bribed three PDP members in the Edo State House of Assembly with a staggering two hundred million naira each to cross over to the APC.
In a pre-action notice signed by Dr. Blessing Agbomhere, Esq., and Taiwo Elizabeth Olorunfemi, Esq., of Blessing Agbomhere and Partners, the legal team denounced the statements as not only false but also a deliberate and calculated attempt to smear the governor’s reputation.
The lawyers further stated that the allegations paint the governor as a corrupt and dishonorable man who mismanages state resources and resorts to bribery to achieve political goals. The notice stressed that Governor Okpebholo has built an impeccable reputation over the years, both as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and now as the governor of Edo State, where he is widely acknowledged for his outstanding leadership and prudent management of state funds.
The legal team expressed outrage over the widespread circulation of these defamatory remarks on various platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, amplifying their damaging impact. They insisted that the governor has never been arrested, charged, or convicted for financial misconduct in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.
They went on to argue that these baseless accusations have subjected the governor to public ridicule, distress, and humiliation, as he continues to receive inquiries from concerned friends, political allies, and well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad.
To remedy the situation, the governor’s legal team is demanding that Nehikhare and Udugbai immediately procure, record, and publish a retraction of their statements through the same platforms on which they made their defamatory claims.
They are also required to issue a formal letter of apology to the governor, to be published in two nationally circulated newspapers. The lawyers added that the PDP chieftains have five days from the receipt of this notice to comply, failing which legal action will be taken without further warning.
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