Members of the Labour Party in the South-South region have denounced a defamatory report against Senator Nenadi Usman, the party's newly appointed caretaker committee chairman. The report, published by an online news platform, alleged that Usman was being prosecuted for financial fraud and had returned ₦140 million out of ₦2.5B and surrendered two houses to the federal government as a condition for her release from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody.
The Labour Party members, under the Core Social Democrats, described the report as "malicious lies" and stated that the charges against Usman were quashed by the Court of Appeal in Lagos on April 20, 2023. They demanded a retraction and public apology from the news platform, threatening legal action if the demands were not met.
The group's leader, Eric Ifere, said the report was "false, unfounded, and malicious" and that there was no evidence to support the claims made against Usman. Adding that the charges levelled against Usman were quashed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Mohammed Ambi-Usi, on 20th April 2023.
He emphasized that the Labour Party valued democracy and justice and would not stand idly by while Usman's reputation was unfairly attacked.
Usman was appointed to lead the Labour Party's caretaker committee on September 4, and tasked with resolving the party's leadership crisis and organizing a convention to elect new leaders. The defamatory report has sparked outrage among party members, who see it as an attempt to discredit Usman and undermine her leadership.
The Labour Party has called on the news platform to act responsibly and correct the "grave injustice" done to Usman's reputation. The party remains committed to upholding justice and fairness, and its members will not hesitate to take legal action if necessary.
“We, the Core Social Democrat members of the Labour Party of Nigeria in the South-South of Nigeria, have noticed the malicious lies perpetrated by an online news platform against our newly appointed chairman of the caretaker committee of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman.
“We note that the publication of 6th September 2024, stating that Senator Usman returned ₦140 million out of the ₦2.5 billion allegedly received from the office of the former National Security
Adviser ahead of the 2015 presidential election and further surrendered two of her houses to the federal government as a condition for her release from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is false, unfounded, and malicious.
“It is inappropriate for the news platform to insinuate guilt when the Court of Appeal quashed the charges against her. We also need to correct the misinformation spread by the news platform, as there is no evidence to support their claim that Senator Nenadi Usman returned any funds or properties to the federal government in connection with any criminal trial.
This unjust attack on her character is a grave concern to us and all who value democracy and justice.
“In conclusion, we reiterate our demand that the news platform retract the defamatory story and issue a public apology immediately. This is not just a request but a demand that carries significant weight. Failure to do so could result in legal action from Senator Nenadi Usman, which would damage the reputation of Sahara Reporters and incur significant costs.
“We urge the news platform to act responsibly and correct the grave injustice they have done to Senator Nenadi’s reputation without further delay. This is a matter of justice and fairness that we, as the Labour Party, are committed to uphold.”
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