“See you in Court”—Adeyanju rejects Peter Obi’s defamation demand

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has threatened to drag activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, to court over what he described as false and defamatory publications against him on social media.

Obi, through his lawyer, Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused Adeyanju of consistently using his X and Facebook accounts to circulate damaging claims portraying him as corrupt, fraudulent and a religious bigot.

In a letter dated August 26, 2025, Obi’s legal team alleged that the activist’s statements, some of which date back to 2022 were deliberately aimed at tarnishing his image and misleading the public.

Among the allegations listed, Adeyanju had accused Obi of diverting Anambra State funds into family businesses, attempting to bribe him after a private meeting, and exploiting religion to manipulate voters during the 2023 presidential polls. He also repeatedly described the former Anambra governor as “a fraud,” “a religious bigot,” “leader of a mob,” and “a scum.”

Obi’s legal team described the publications as “false, malicious, and contrived,” adding that they had caused “untold damage” to his reputation both locally and internationally. The letter demanded that Adeyanju delete all the posts, issue a public apology across his social media pages, and publish apologies in three national newspapers.

The legal team warned that failure to comply within seven days would leave Obi with no option but to institute a lawsuit seeking aggravated damages, an injunction to restrain Adeyanju from further defamatory remarks, and recovery of legal costs.

But Adeyanju has brushed off the threat. In a post shared on his official Facebook page, the activist mocked Obi’s demands, insisting he was ready to face him in court.

“Just got this letter from Peter Obi the religious bigot demanding a retraction from me. I laughed so hard. A fraud parading himself as a messiah. This same guy called the great Sowore a blackmailer-in-chief,” he wrote.

Adeyanju further alleged that Obi was trying to shield his supporters from accountability, citing a separate row involving his wife. “We served his little errand girl Serah a letter to retract all her defamatory publications on Monday against my wife & she ran to the leader of the mob for help. Can’t wait to meet him in court,” he added.