*Says there is no iota of truth that I’m working for Obaseki
Barr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, a former director in the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has denied allegations levelled against him by the All Progressives Congress APC in Edo state.
This is coming even as he demanded a retraction of the allegation to be published within 72 hours in four national papers.
Osaze-Uzzi, has been accused of working in cahoots with the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki to rig the September 19 Governorship election in the state.
The Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki also accused Osaze-Uzzi who is the immediate-past Director of Publicity, Voter Education, Gender and Civil Society Liaison in INEC of working as a private consultant to the governor in order to access sensitive information at the Commission.
Mayaki had described Osaze-Uzzi as a first cousin of the governor who has been engaged as a private consultant to trade sensitive INEC information ahead of the election.
However, in a letter from his lawyers, Ahmed Raji & Co, the former INEC director demanded a retraction to be published within 72 hours in four national papers. He also demanded monetary damages of N500 million.
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The letter dated 24th August, 2020 was addressed to Mayaki and signed by Ahmed Raji SAN and Alex Ejesieme SAN.
Part of the letter reads; “We are solicitors to Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, whom we shall henceforth refer to as ‘Our Client’. It is upon his brief and instruction that we write this letter to you.
“Our Client’s attention has been drawn to a widely circulated and damaging publication titled: PDP plans rigging using retired INEC Staff and Obaseki’s Cousin, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, which was published on your blog: https://www.johnmayaki.com/pdp-plans- rigging-using-retired-inec-salt-and-obaseki-cousin-oluwole-osaze-uzzi and several other print and online media. The said publication was also circulated on various social media platforms, particularly Whatsapp and Facebook.
“The initial disposition of Our Client was to ignore the said falschood and campaign of calumny, given the didactic provision of the Holy Bible in Proverbs 26:4, and to consider such as a frenetic dance of a lunatic in the market place, which is an interesting spectacle to behold. However, for the sake of posterity, and for his silence not to be misconstrued as admission, our Client saw a need to react, relying on a latter provision of the Holy Bible in Proverbs 26:5.
“Our Client denies the entirety of the falsehood contained in the said publication and states that there is no iota of truth in the fictitious allegations, as made by yourself or any other person acting through you. It is clear, and as a matter of fact, that Our Client, a renowned legal practitioner and an excellent public officer, has an unblemished record in the various capacities he has served. Since his employment, his competence, character or integrity was never questioned, as he delivered without bias or favour. It is therefore ridiculous that your spurious allegations came at this moment.
“It is Our Client’s conviction that the said publication, in which you made false and scandalous allegations against him, was a calculated plot to demean, ridicule, humiliate and embarrass him, by the estimation of every right thinking member of the society. This seems to have been achieved, as friends and well wishers all over the world have inundated him with calls to register their shocks. It has also caused a serious emotional injury to Our client given that his decades of stellar character is being questioned by an ill-motivated publication.
“Consequently, we demand that you retract the said publication and tender an apology to Our Client within 72 hours of the receipt of this letter in four (4) national dailies to wit: Nigerian Tribune, Daily Trust, Vanguard and The Punch, including your blog. In addition, Our Client is also making an unequivocal demand for a monetary damages of N500, 000, 000 (Five Hundred Million Naira Only) for the embarrassment your defamatory publications have caused him and his family.
“Take Notice that if Our Client’s demands are not met within the stipulated time, we shall, without further recourse to you, commence necessary proceedings against you in a Court of competent jurisdiction”.
