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Defamation: Emefiele Threatens Lawsuit Against Akpabio, Demands N1bn, Written Apology
The embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has demanded N1billion damages from Senate President, Godswill Akpabio for alleged defamation.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, in a notice to the Senate President dated February 19, 2024, faulted the “we don’t know what to charge Emefiele with” statement credited to Akpabio on February 18, 2024.
Emefiele, through his lawyer, considered Akpabio’s comment “false, distorted and clearly aimed at disparaging his character and indeed made in bad faith”.
The Senate President at a thanksgiving service by Senator Barinada Mpigi in Koroma, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, had said Emefiele left the Nigerian economy in a mess and the Federal Government does not know the charges to levy against the ex-apex bank chief in the eye of the storm.
The President Bola Tinubu administration, through anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is currently probing the affairs of ex-CBN governor.
Burkaa said contrary to Akpabio’s claim, the Federal Government had since August 14, 2023 preferred charges against Emefiele and his client had pleaded not guilty of the said allegations.
Burkaa, in his letter to Akpabio, said: “Your statement attributing the present economic woes of the country solely on our client is most appalling and exposes the inaccuracies in Your assertions, especially, as you were a major player in the immediate Past Administration and worked closely with our client and indeed witnessed the innovations he introduced in the banking sector and its impact on the economy whilst in office, as well as the role he played despite all odds in salvaging Nigeria in the P & ID Saga and the positive result it brought for Nigeria.”
“You are also aware that no single policy was carried out by our client without the approval, directive or authorization of the President and/or the Federal Executive Council of which you were a key and powerful member.
“These baseless and false allegations clearly defames the character of our client and has also caused him great pains and embarrassment as it has lowered his esteem before the right thinking members of the society in addition to the obvious odium and opprobrium from the unsuspecting members of the society as a result of the falsity contained in that statement.
“We, therefore, have our client’s further instruction to demand from you an unreserved apology in writing, published and circulated by the same medium with which you have defamed his character and the sum of One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) as reasonable compensation for the willful and unjustifiable denigration of his hard earned reputation.
“In the event that you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with this legitimate demand, our client will be at liberty to seek the appropriate redress available to him under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
View a copy of the letter:
The House of Representatives has released the certified copies of the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, following public concerns over alleged discrepancies and the circulation of unauthorised versions of the laws.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the House, Akin Rotimi, on Saturday.
According to the statement, the House, under the leadership of the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, directed the immediate release of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the Acts, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the president, to Nigerians for public record, verification and reference.
The decision, taken in concert with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, followed allegations that versions of the tax laws in circulation differed from those passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president.
The controversy was first raised on the floor of the House by Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), who drew the attention of lawmakers to alleged discrepancies between the tax Bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made public by the executive arm.
Mr Dasuki warned that the inconsistencies, if left unchecked, could undermine legislative integrity and public confidence in the law-making process. His intervention triggered debates within and outside the National Assembly, with legal practitioners, tax experts and civil society organisations demanding clarification and suspension of the implementation of the Acts.
In response, Mr Tajudeen constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Aliyu Betara, whose members included Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson.
The committee was directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged alterations, how unauthorised versions came into circulation and measures to prevent a recurrence.
Mr Tajudeen also ordered an immediate internal verification of the Acts and approved the public release of the certified versions to eliminate doubts, restore clarity and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.
The four tax reform laws released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The House described the laws as the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform framework, aimed at modernising revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies, eliminating duplication and strengthening fiscal coordination across the federation.
It said Mr Tajudeen provided firm leadership throughout the tax reform process, from stakeholder consultations and committee scrutiny to clause-by-clause consideration and robust plenary debates, to ensure the reforms were inclusive, evidence-based and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities.
Reassuring Nigerians, Mr Rotimi said, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.”
He stressed that once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature, adding that there is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.
He further emphasised that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are the certified copies released by the National Assembly, urging the public to disregard any other documents or versions in circulation.
“Members of the public, institutions, professionals, and stakeholders are therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any other documents or versions in circulation that are not certified by the National Assembly, as such materials do not form part of the official legislative record,” the statement read.
The House also disclosed that the Clerk to the National Assembly has concluded the process of aligning the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity and uniformity, adding that hard copies have been produced, circulated to lawmakers and made available to the public.
“The Clerk to the National Assembly has concluded the process of aligning the Acts – duly passed, assented to, and certified – with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity, and uniformity. Hard copies of the certified tax Acts have also been produced and are being circulated to all Honourable Members and Distinguished Senators, and made available to the public, to ensure institutional clarity, uniform reference, and legislative certainty.”
It added that the ad hoc committee chaired by Mr Betara continues its work in line with its mandate to determine the circumstances surrounding the circulation of unauthorised versions of the tax Acts and recommend safeguards to preserve the integrity and reliability of parliamentary records.
The House reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency and accountable governance, pledging to strengthen internal controls, uphold institutional discipline and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.
“The House will continue to strengthen internal controls, uphold institutional discipline, and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process in the collective interest of the Nigerian people,” it concluded.
President Trump said in a Truth Social post early Saturday morning that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country,” as he confirmed U.S. military strikes in Venezuela.
The capture, according to the post, followed a barage of attacks by United States.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” Mr. Trump wrote. He said U.S. law enforcement was involved, but he didn’t specify how or which agencies.
Maduro was indicted in an American court for alleged narcoterrorism in 2020.
Mr. Trump said more details will be offered in a press conference at 11 a.m. ET at Mar-a-Lago.
The full post reads:
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.
“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has stated that if the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, decides to run as someone’s vice-presidential candidate, he will immediately stop supporting him.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Prof. Utomi assured that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party will contest for the presidency in 2027, following his formal defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday.
“I can tell you that Peter Obi will contest for the presidency. The day he becomes somebody’s vice president, I walk away from his corner. I can tell you that for a fact,” Prof. Utomi said on the programme.
In the same interview, Prof. Utomi also made a case for limiting presidential and gubernatorial candidates to Nigerians aged 70 and below.
He lamented that the Nigerian presidency has increasingly become a “retirement home,” criticising both former President Muhammadu Buhari’s and President Bola Tinubu’s administrations as “government in absentia.”
“Something important about this election to bear in mind is that the Nigerian presidency has become a retirement home where people go for the Nigerian state to pay their medical bills. It is not acceptable. They don’t have the fitness to run the country. The last one, and the current one, have essentially been government-in-absentia leaders.”
“I, Pat Utomi, am insisting that I will canvass to the Nigerian people that nobody over the age of 70 should run for an executive position, whether it be governor or president,” he concluded.
Rescue mission
Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election with over 6 million votes, officially announced his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu on Wednesday.
In his speech at the event, Obi said his move to the ADC marks the beginning of a journey to rescue the country from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Today is an important day; today is the last day of 2025, so we are ending this year with the hope that, in 2026, we will begin a journey to rescue our country and set it on the path of proper socio-economic development that will be unifying and inclusive,” Obi stated.
He added: “We have all watched as those who benefited from our democracy have, over time, become accessories to destroying it—either through coercion or gangsterism against the opposition. We cannot allow this to happen; we will resist it.”
