Akwa Ibom REC, Igini threatens APC with N1bn suit over alleged partisanship

The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Mike Igini has threatened a N1billion libel suit against a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Blessing Agbomhere.
Agbomhere, according to Igini, had in a television interview he granted on June 29, accused him of not only working for the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, but equally acting as a ceremonial consultant to the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.
Slighted by the allegation which he also denied, Igini warned that he would not hesitate to commence legal proceedings against Agbomhere, if he fails to retract the said defamatory statements and tender an apology to him in four major TV stations and five prominent newspapers within the next 48 hours.
In a pre-litigation notice that was prepared by his team of lawyers led by Chief Clement Onwuenwunor, a copy of which was seen by THISDAY, Igini claimed that the APC chieftain maliciously accused him of abusing his office as an electoral umpire in Akwa Ibom State.
The pre-action notice addressed to Agbomhere, read:  “We act as Legal Practitioners for Honourable Mike Igini (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on whose instruction we write this protest and demand letter to you.
“In a Television interview aired by Arise Television and anchored by Dr. Rueben Abati on June 29, 2022 and subsequently relayed in several other news media platforms, you maliciously published to the whole World about our client as follows:
‘Mike Igini has abused the privilege of his office, he is partial/biased against the interest of APC in Akwa Ibom State, he is working for PDP in Akwa Ibom State, he is a ceremonial consultant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in electoral matters, he has compromised the values of INEC, he is a hatchet man hired by the PDP to work for them in INEC, shamelessly defending the rights of political parties and that he lives in the Lodge of the Government of Akwa Ibom State….. that he has videos of him driving in and coming out.
“The above malicious accusations published to the whole world have ever since, been given unprecedented publicity and they constitute the most wicked attack on the towering image of our client, who over the years, has earned a deserved reputation in Nigeria and internationally as a forthright electoral umpire.”
Igini, however, denied all the allegations and challenged the APC Chieftain to publish evidence of his claims if he has any or immediately retract them.
“Consequently, we have been instructed by our client to demand from you a retraction of the defamatory statements and an apology to be broadcast on Arise Television, Channels Television, AIT, TVC and to also be published on a full page in the Punch Newspapers, Guardian Newspapers, Vanguard Newspapers, Tribune Newspapers and Sunday Sun Newspapers within Forty-Eight (48) hours from the receipt of this letter.

“We also demand the modest sum of N1 billion from you as damages for the said defamatory statements.

“Take note that if you fail, refuse and or neglect to comply with the above demand within the stated period, we shall have no other option than to perfect our Client’s standing instructions against you”, the letter read. (THISDAY)