Atiku demands apology, N500m damages from Buhari’s aide over defamatory tweet

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has asked President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie for an apology and N500m for defaming him on social media.

The presidential candidate in a letter dated May 14, 2019, and addressed to Onochie by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome threatened to begin a N2 billion suit against her if she refused to meet his demands.

Onochie had tweeted that Atiku was on a watch list in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

She wrote: “Atiku on UAE watchlist- Security sources,” Buhari’s aide tweeted.

“Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice Pres Atiku Abubakar who has been in the Middle East nation for several weeks now

What is he doing there?

“Me: Shopping for Terrorists?”

In the letter in which Atiku demanded an apology, the former Vice President also asked Onochie to publish a retraction in six national newspapers and one international daily as well as on social media.

The letter reads: “Your odious publication is clearly also aimed at rubbishing our client’s image and reputation,” the letter read.

“It has caused him national and international backlash and embarrassment and done incalculable damage to him.

“Your publication has also caused our client, in the eyes of reasonable members of the public, unspeakable odium, obloquy, hatred, ridicule and psychological trauma.

“He has thereby been subjected to the shame and infamy of being viewed by members of the public as not only corrupt, but as a terrorist and sponsor of terrorism. Numerous telephone calls, emails, visits, letters and private social media chats by his family members, friends, political and business associates, and international statesmen and women in the last few days attest to the alarm and serious concerns generated by your false publication.”

 Recall that the Federal Government had in April accused Atiku of collaborating with ‘foreign’ forces to declare himself Nigeria’s President.