Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, has filed a ₦1.5 billion defamation lawsuit against Nigerian human rights activist and social commentator, Mr. Deji Adeyanju.
The suit, No: 0/254/25, was filed at the High Court of Anambra State, Onitsha Judicial Division, with Obi as the plaintiff and Adeyanju as the defendant.
According to the writ of summons issued by Obi’s counsel, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), the former governor is seeking ₦500 million in aggravated damages and ₦1 billion in general damages over a series of allegedly false and malicious statements made by Adeyanju across his social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
Obi, in his statement of claim, described the posts as “false, baseless, malicious, scandalous, and defamatory,” asserting that Adeyanju’s remarks, such as labelling him a “religious bigot,” “fraud,” “political prostitute,” and “leader of a mob”, had severely damaged his personal, political, and professional reputation both in Nigeria and internationally.
The former governor is seeking a court declaration that Adeyanju’s statements are defamatory, as well as an order compelling him to publish a full and unequivocal apology across his social media platforms and in at least three national newspapers.
Obi is also requesting that the court mandate Adeyanju to retract all offensive posts and permanently restrain him from making further defamatory statements.
In addition, the suit seeks reimbursement for litigation costs and professional fees, along with an order for 18% annual interest on the judgment sum from the date of judgment until full payment.
The writ, dated October 3, 2025, was issued from the High Court Registry in Onitsha and has been served on Adeyanju at his residence in Wuse II, Abuja.
The Plaintiff’s claims against the defendant as follows:
“A DECLARATION that all allegations made and published by the Defendant concerning the Plaintiff on the Defendant’s various social media platforms, including, without limitation, his “X” (formerly Twitter) handle @adeyanjudeji and his verified Facebook account “Adeyanju Deji”, Instagram account “AdeyanjuDeji” are false, baseless, unfounded, malicious, reckless, scandalous, and defamatory of the Plaintiff.
“AN ORDER compelling the Defendant, within seven (7) days of the judgment of this Honourable Court, to publish a full, unreserved and unequivocal apology to the Plaintiff on all the Defendant’s social media handles, in at least three widely circulated national daily newspapers in Nigeria.
Also, on all television, online and print platforms (including Channels Television, its YouTube page, TVC News Nigeria, Arise News and any other outlet where the interview or publications appeared), expressly retracting the false and defamatory statements and acknowledging the injury caused to the Plaintiff’s reputation and public image.
“AN ORDER compelling the Defendant to immediately retract and delete from all his social media platforms, including but not limited to his “X” handle @adeyanjudeji, his verified Facebook account “Adeyanju Deji.
” Instagram account @AdeyanjuDeji and any other online platforms or sites, all false and malicious publications describing the Plaintiff with derogatory labels (including “leader of a mob,” “religious bigot,” “fraud,” “scum,” “political fraud,” “political prostitute”), allegations of financial misconduct, dishonesty, or abuse of office, which have harmed the Plaintiff’s personal, political, and professional reputation.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendant, whether by himself, his servants, agents, privies, representatives, assigns or through any media or online platform whatsoever, from publishing, broadcasting or causing to be published or broadcast any defamatory words or materials against the Plaintiff.
“AGGRAVATED AND/OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES in the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) against the Defendant for his reckless, malicious and persistent course of conduct in publishing and republishing the defamatory words complained of, calculated to disparage and ridicule the Plaintiff before the Nigerian public, polity and international community.
“He also seeks “general damages in the sum of 1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) against the Defendant, being compensation for the harm, ridicule, odium, emotional distress, and reputational injury suffered by the Plaintiff as a result of the Defendant’s defamatory publications.
“Cost of litigation and professional fees incurred by the Plaintiff in instituting this suit.
“AN ORDER OF THE COURT directing the Defendant to pay 18% judgement sum per annum from the date of judgement until the final liquidation of the judgement sum.”
“SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case,” the court document added.
On Friday, August 29, 2025, Adeyanju alleged that Obi attempted to offer him money during the buildup to the last general elections.
However, Adeyanju said he rejected it.
Speaking in a no-holds-barred interview on Channels Television, Adeyanju dared Obi, who had threatened to sue him for defamation, to do his worst,” insisting that the truth remained a valid defence in any defamation case.
Recounting his encounter with the former Anambra governor, Adeyanju said he initially avoided Obi’s repeated attempts to meet him after his public commentaries in 2022 that seemed to favour Obi’s chances.
Adeyanju also took a swipe at Obi’s supporters, popularly known as Obidients,” accusing them of toxicity and intolerance during the election season.“
Obidient mobs became practically uncontrollable.
They threatened judges, harassed artists, insulted Prof. Wole Soyinka, and attacked anyone who criticised Obi.
We had never seen such toxicity in Nigerian politics except under Buhari,” he said.
On Obi’s political character, Adeyanju said:
“He is a political fraud, parading himself as a messiah. Didn’t he swear never to leave APGA? Yet he left. Today, he has one leg in PDP, another in ADC, and still in Labour Party. That’s a political prostitute.”
Adeyanju, who maintained that every allegation he made against Obi was factual, challenged him to proceed with the defamation suit.
