The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, has given a seven day ultimatum to Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin to tender an unreserved apology to him and retract all allegations made against him or face legal action.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media & Public Affairs to the Speaker, Mr. Turaki Hassan, the demand was contained in a letter written and addressed to Jibrin by counsel to Dogara, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) & Co. It was signed By Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, who is the Principal Partner of the firm.

The letter, entitled, ‘REQUEST FOR A RETRACTION AND AN APOLOGY OF A LIBELOUS PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY YOU ON MONDAY 25TH JULY, 2016’, noted that the claims of the former Appropriations chairman that the speaker is corrupt and abuses his office is aimed at tarnishing his image at home and abroad and is a clear case of libel.

The letter read in part, “The attention of our client has been drawn to a libelous press statement you issued on Monday 25th July 2016 which was made available to members of the press (print and electronic media) titled ‘THE CORRUPT SPEAKER YAKUBU DOGARA AND HIS 3-MAN CABAL’.

“By the said publication and without putting to the public any shred of evidence, our client is portrayed as a criminal, corrupt, dishonest, fraudulent, dishonourable and unfit to hold the position of Speaker of House of Representatives.

“Our client’s reputation has further been brought down in the estimation of right thinking members of the society and he has been thrown into public opprobrium, odium, scorn and ridicule.

“Consequently, we consider your publication on the matter as not only libelous but made in bad faith; an act of vendetta owing to your recent removal as the Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation.

“Sequel to the above, we have to request you to submit immediately to us a clear and unqualified apology and retraction of the publication in an equally conspicuous position in all the print and electronic media where the publication appeared.

“Take notice that in the event of your failure/refusal to comply with the above mentioned demands within seven (7) days of your receipt of this letter, we have further instructions to institute a suit against you in a court of law.

Jibrin had recently accused Dogara and a few other leaders of the House of corruption and budget padding.

Isime Esene