By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta 

The National Vice Chairman, (South West) of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has issued a pre-action demand letter to the refers to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, demanding a public retraction, apology and ₦50 billion in compensation over an alleged defamatory statement made during a podcast interview.

The demand, was contained in a letter dated July 3, 2026, and issued by Neplus Ultra Attorneys and signed by Anderson U. Asemota, Peter O. Asimegbe and Stanley C. Eziefulle on behalf of Arabambi.

According to the letter, the legal action stems from comments allegedly made by Obi during an interview, where he was said to have stated that Arabambi “does not have an address.”

Arabambi’s legal team argued that the statement was false, malicious and defamatory, contending that it portrayed their client as a faceless individual, lacking legitimacy, credibility and standing in public life.

The lawyers maintained that the interview was subsequently circulated across television stations and multiple digital platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp, thereby exposing their client to widespread public ridicule.

The letter reads, “Our Client has had a known residential and business address, maintains professional and political affiliations within Nigeria and has never been a person whose whereabouts or identity were unknown”.

It further argued that the publication damaged Arabambi’s reputation and subjected him to embarrassment and public ridicule.

“The ordinary and natural meaning which reasonable viewers attached to your publication was that our client is a faceless and unidentifiable person, has no known place of residence, lacks any legitimate standing in public life and is undeserving of public confidence,” the lawyers wrote.

The legal team also claimed that reactions generated on social media following the interview demonstrated that viewers understood the alleged remark as an attack on Arabambi’s identity and public credibility.

According to the solicitors, Obi, as a prominent political figure and NDC presidential candidate, ought to have exercised greater caution before making statements capable of damaging another person’s reputation.

The letter alleged that the circumstances surrounding the publication disclosed both express and implied malice, insisting that the statement was made with full appreciation of the audience it would reach.

“Our client has suffered considerable embarrassment, humiliation and injury to his reputation. The defamatory publication has impaired his standing in political and social circles and subjected him to needless attacks upon his integrity and personality,” the letter added.

As part of its demands, Arabambi’s legal team requested that Obi, within seven days of receiving the letter, issue “a clear, unequivocal and unconditional retraction” of the alleged defamatory statement on the same podcast or another platform of comparable reach.

The lawyers also demanded an “unreserved public apology” to be broadcast on national television and published on Obi’s verified social media platforms, as well as full-page apologies in Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian, THISDAY and The Nation newspapers.

In addition, Arabambi is demanding the payment of ₦50 billion, as compensation for what he described as injury to his reputation, dignity, political standing and public image.

The letter further requested a written undertaking from Obi to refrain from making any further allegedly defamatory statements against Arabambi and directed him to preserve all materials relating to the podcast interview, including video recordings, transcripts, correspondence, electronic communications and digital metadata, warning that any destruction or alteration of evidence could be relied upon in future court proceedings.

The solicitors warned that failure to comply with the demands within seven days would leave their client with no option but to institute legal proceedings seeking declarations that the publication was defamatory, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction restraining further publication of similar statements, an order compelling a public retraction and apology, interest on monetary awards and the cost of the suit.

“Our Client would have preferred that this unfortunate episode be resolved without recourse to litigation. However, the protection of one’s reputation is a right recognised by law and cannot be surrendered in the face of a false and damaging publication,” the lawyers stated.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of gross corruption following claims that ₦8.83 trillion in 2025 expenditure was not captured in the national budget.

Obi made the allegation in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, citing what he described as findings from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) consultation report.

According to him, the reported expenditure was not appropriated in the 2025 budget and was therefore outside legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.

“The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government. The IMF now reveals that about ₦8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible,” Obi said.

He argued that the amount represents about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and over 35 per cent of the country’s ₦23.96 trillion capital expenditure budget for 2025.

Obi also claimed that the sum exceeds the combined allocations to the education and health sectors in the 2025 budget, saying it could have been used to improve public services, create jobs and support economic development if properly managed.

The former Anambra State governor alleged that the development reflected a pattern of financial mismanagement under the current administration.

He further accused the government of failing to uphold basic principles of public financial management, warning that such practices could undermine national stability and deepen poverty.

Describing the administration as “grossly corrupt, incompetent and insensitive,” Obi argued that the reported expenditure underscored the need for greater accountability in the management of public resources.

He also reiterated his earlier call for President Tinubu to resign, citing what he described as incompetence, failure to fulfil campaign promises and alleged lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerians.

Obi urged citizens to hold the government accountable through lawful and democratic means.

The Presidency and the Federal Government had not responded to Obi’s claims as of the time of filing this report.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of presiding over what he described as “grand corruption,” citing an alleged N8.83 trillion in unbudgeted expenditure highlighted in a recent International Monetary Fund consultation report.

In a statement titled “Grand Corruption: Nigeria’s Greatest Threat,” posted on his X account on Sunday, Obi claimed the reported expenditure was not captured in the 2025 budget, arguing that it was therefore outside legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.

According to him, the N8.83 trillion represents about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than 35 per cent of the country’s 2025 capital budget of N23.96 trillion, and exceeds the combined allocations for education and health.

Obi said the funds, if properly utilised and accounted for, could have significantly improved public healthcare, education and job creation through the establishment of cottage industries.

He alleged that the development was not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of corruption under the current administration.

The former Anambra State governor further accused the government of disregarding public finance management rules, warning that such practices threaten national security, deepen poverty and weaken state institutions.

Describing the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration as “grossly corrupt, incompetent and insensitive,” Obi argued that the alleged mismanagement of public resources had worsened the country’s economic and social challenges.

Reiterating an earlier call for Tinubu to resign, Obi said recent developments had reinforced his position that the President should step down over what he described as incompetence, lack of compassion and failure to fulfil campaign promises.

“The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government. 

“The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible.

“N8.83 trillion is as follows:

“About 2% of our GDP.

Over 35% of Nigeria’s 2025 N23.96 trillion capital project budget. In fact, the amount is more than the actual released capital funding for 2025.

“It is more than the entire combined budget for education (N3.52 trillion) and health (N2.38 trillion).

“If such an amount is properly used and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s public health and education sectors. It could create hundreds of cottage industries that can provide jobs for thousands of graduates and build a solid foundation for economic development. But we cannot account for it. This is not an isolated incident.

“This is a pattern of grand corruption that has become part of this administration.

“We have a lot to worry about regarding the state of corruption under President Tinubu. 

“The sort of corruption that is ingrained in total disregard of elementary rules of public finance management poses a grave danger to national security and the stability of the Nigerian state,” part of the statement read.