The Women Leader of the Lagos State
Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas has
demanded a written apology and retraction from Thisday Newspapers over a false
and malicious publication against her by the newspaper in its publication of
Sunday 6th January, 2019.
This was contained in a letter dated
Monday January 7, 2019 written by the lawyers of Okoya-Thomas, GMO Legal,
Solicitors, Advocates, Notaries located at Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki,
Lagos.
The letter, which was addressed to
the Managing Director, Thisday Newspapers Limited, 25, Creek Road, Apapa Lagos,
was entitled; "False and Malicious Libel of Omoba Olajumoke
Okoya-Thomas-Letter Before Action."
The letter was signed by Mr. George
M. Oguntade (SAN) and both the Editor of Thisday Newspapers, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi
and the writer of the story, Mr. Adebayo Adeoye were copied.
In the letter, the solicitors stated
that Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas is a very notable, respected and prominent
politician in Nigeria, who served as a member of the Federal House of
Representatives from 2001 to 2011 and that she is currently the Women Leader of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, a position the legal
counsels said puts her in the forefront of politics in Nigeria.
"The attention of our client
has been drawn to a publication appearing at Page 62 of Thisday (The Sunday
Newspaper) of Sunday 6th January, 2019 under the caption "About Jumoke
Okoya-Thomas and Her Wild Lifestyle."
"By the publication, our client
has been portrayed as a person who indulges in excess consumption of alcohol
and acts irresponsibly publicly.
"The publication further
portrays our client as a violent and aggressive person, who engages in scuffles
and aggressive conduct.
"Those allegations are
manifestly false in their entirety to the knowledge of the author and were
brazenly.
"Its publication was calculated
to injure the sterling reputation of our client in the eyes of right thinking
members of the society, especially given her position as a prominent politician
and role model," the counsels wrote.
They then demanded that Thisday Newspapers
should write a written retraction of the publication in the newspaper within a
period of 48 hours from the receipt of the letter.
It was also demanded that Thisday
Newspapers should forward "a written apology to our client with respect to
the publication within a period of 48 hours of receipt of this letter."
Okoya-Thomas also demanded, through
her lawyers that the publication should "immediately cease and desist
their unlawful defamation of our client and provide us with a prompt written
assurance within 48 hours of receipt of this letter that you will cease from
further defamation of our client."
The counsels however, advised that
if the publication did not comply with the request contained in the letter,
Okoya-Thomas would immediately proceed to court against the newspapers to seek
inta alia declaratory and injunctive relief as well as monetary damages and
costs.
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