By Henry Ojelu
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has threatened to institute legal action against Lagos Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, over what he described as false and defamatory statements made against him during a live broadcast on Arise Television.
In a demand letter dated October 7, 2025, and signed by his legal representatives, S. I. Ameh (SAN) & Co., Akpabio accused Pearse of making reckless and malicious comments intended to damage his reputation.
The Senate President directed Pearse to issue a public apology and retraction within three days or face legal proceedings for defamation and criminal incitement.
The letter, titled “Demand for Immediate Retraction and Public Apology for Defamatory Publication Against Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON,” stated that during a political segment on Arise TV on October 4, 2025, Pearse made unsubstantiated allegations of corruption, manipulation, and criminality against the Senate President.
Pearse was quoted as saying: “If we get more women in the National Assembly and we have a Senate President like Akpabio, what is the point? The National Assembly we have now is a rubber-stamp assembly. Any president who wants to manipulate it can do so. And this one is actually manipulating it to the detriment of progress for Nigerians.
“Akpabio should not be President of the Senate. He’s a criminal; he shouldn’t be there. He has cases in the EFCC, millions that he stole when he was governor… If he has criminal cases, let him go and answer them. There’s no way a man like that should be there in the first place.”
Describing the comments as “false in every material particular,” Akpabio’s lawyers said the remarks were made with total disregard for the truth and in bad faith.
They argued that the statements were intended to portray their client as a corrupt and dishonest politician, thereby exposing him to public ridicule and hatred.
According to the letter, the broadcast and its subsequent circulation on social media caused the Senate President “grave reputational injury, emotional distress, and embarrassment,” and also undermined public confidence in the leadership of the Senate.
“Our client finds these assertions deeply offensive, defamatory, and malicious.They portray him as a criminal, corrupt politician, misogynist, and manipulator of democratic institutions — all of which are entirely untrue,” part of the letter read.
The law firm warned that Pearse’s conduct amounted to criminal defamation and public incitement, contrary to Sections 373–375 of the Criminal Code Act, Sections 391–393 of the Penal Code, and provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Ameh (SAN) & Co. demanded that Pearse issue a retraction and public apology to be broadcast on Arise TV, Channels Television, AIT, Cool FM, RayPower, Nigeria Info FM, and published in The Guardian, Punch, The Nation, THISDAY, and Leadership newspapers.
The letter further warned: “If you fail to comply within the stipulated three days, we shall, without further notice, proceed to institute appropriate legal proceedings against you to enforce our client’s rights and seek full redress under the law.”
The lawyers maintained that Pearse’s utterances exceeded the limits of free speech guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution, stressing that “freedom of expression does not include spreading falsehoods or making malicious attacks on another’s reputation.”
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