Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has threatened to sue four national newspapers over alleged defamatory publications.
In separate letters issued through his legal counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, Dogara accused The Guardian, Nigerian Pilot, Daily Post, and New Telegraph of publishing false and damaging content against his person.
The certified true copies of the letters, made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, described the publications as defamatory and harmful to Dogara’s reputation, political career, and personal life.
One of the contentious headlines reads: “Ex-loyalist slams Dogara for taking appointment from ‘Muslim-Muslim’ govt,” in which the former lawmaker was labelled “deceitful” and accused of seeking political appointments “without dignity.”
“Our client is a businessman and renowned politician who rose to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives and currently serves as Chairman of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC),” the letter reads.
The counsel stated that Dogara has built a reputable public image over the years and commands admiration both within and outside his constituency — the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
The letter further alleged that the publications were “inflammatory and derogatory,” and aimed at “assassinating his reputation” before his supporters, associates, and the general public.
“You maligned our client with imputations of crime, low morality, and baseless accusations, describing him as deceitful and shameless,” Usman wrote.
The lawyer also stated that the individual described in the publications as an “ex-loyalist” of Dogara is unknown to his client.
“Be it known to you that your defamatory statements have exposed our client to serious political embarrassment, psychological trauma, and public humiliation,” he said.
Dogara is demanding the following actions within three days of receiving the letters:
A front-page retraction of the reports in all four media outlets.
A public apology published in the same newspapers and across social media platforms.
Failure to comply, the letter warns, will result in civil and criminal litigation without further notice.
“Take final notice, that this last resort shall be without further notice to you and shall be done with all the attendant publicity. A word is enough for the wise,” Usman concluded.
