The Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac, and her brother, Kunle Odide, have instituted a libel suit against 35 leaders of the All Progressives Congress before the Ondo State High Court in Akure.
The case came up on Tuesday before Justice Yemi Fasanmi, who awarded N100,000 costs against each of the claimants in favour of each of the 35 defendants after granting an application to amend defects in the court processes.
The award brings the total cost awarded to the defendants to N3.5m.
The defendants had earlier indicated their intention to challenge the jurisdiction of the court and the competence of the suit through a preliminary objection before the claimants sought leave to amend their originating processes.
Former Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adekola Olawoye (SAN), who is the first defendant, appeared as counsel for himself and several other defendants, while separate legal representatives appeared for the remaining respondents.
The defendants, all APC elders from the same local government area as the claimants, also expressed their willingness to explore an amicable resolution to prevent further division within the ruling party.
Addressing journalists after the proceedings, Olawoye said the dispute stemmed from a letter he wrote to the National Chairman of the APC, insisting that it was a legitimate communication made in his capacity as a party member.
According to him, the letter was privately forwarded to the party leadership and was not intended for public circulation, adding that it merely highlighted what he described as developments within the party in their local government.
Olawoye disclosed that the claimants had earlier petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, leading to the invitation of the defendants to Abuja in March this year. He said they were neither detained nor prosecuted after the police reviewed the matter.
The senior advocate said efforts had been made to settle the disagreement outside the courtroom but had yet to produce the desired outcome.
He urged party members to embrace reconciliation ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that internal disputes should not weaken the APC's electoral chances.
Counsel to the claimants, Olaoluwa Imoru, however, maintained that the action arose from an allegedly defamatory publication authored by the defendants and published in the Nigerian Tribune on February 2, 2026.
He said the claimants were asking the court to declare the publication defamatory and award aggravated, special and general damages for the alleged injury to their reputation.
Imoru added that the claimants were also seeking a public retraction and apology, insisting that both were necessary to address the alleged damage caused by the publication.
He argued that one of the statements complained of was the description of the commissioner as the governor's "mummy," which, according to him, falsely suggested that she wielded undue influence over Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Justice Fasanmi subsequently adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for further hearing.
Source: Leadership Newspaper
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