The Edo State High Court has fixed November 23, 2021, for hearing on the N5 billion defamation suit against the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), David Imuse.
Mike Igini, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Akwa Ibom State, had filed the suit against Imuse, demanding N5 billion as aggravated damages.
The case was slated for Wednesday but it was rescheduled when the registrar of the court informed the counsel that the court will not be sitting.
Speaking with journalists, Igini’s counsel, Edwin Okonedo, said “We prepared for trial this morning but we were told by the registrar that his lordship will not be sitting when we arrived the court.
“Both counsel in the case have taken another date which is November 23, to commence trial. The registrar said he was told this morning that his lordship will not be sitting today. It is very unfortunate because our client was on official duty in Abuja,” he said.
In the suit number B/555/2020, Igini also demanded a full page unreserved apology to be published by the defendant in some newspapers for seven consecutive times, commencing not later than seven days after the judgment of the case.
He also prayed the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies and or servants from further publishing same or similar words defamatory against him.
Prior to the September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election, the APC chairman and some other persons addressed a press conference titled, ’Press conference on Governor Godwin Obaseki’s criminal attempt to infiltrate INEC officers like Mike Igini’ in Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area.
Igini said the publication dented his image and people who erstwhile held him in high esteem, have lost confidence in him.
