‘Legal notice is not intimidation’ — Seriki, Yeketi trade words over defamation dispute
A fresh dispute has erupted within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as former governorship aspirant, Ambassador Abdulfatah Yahaya Seriki Gambari, and party chieftain, Engr. Musa Yeketi, trade words over comments allegedly made during a live radio programme in Ilorin.
The disagreement took a legal dimension after Seriki, through his lawyer, Barrister Abdulwahab Issa, issued a pre-action notice to Yeketi over remarks attributed to him during the September 17 edition of Oro Ilu on Sobi FM.
Yeketi was reportedly discussing political developments surrounding some aspirants associated with the G15 bloc when he allegedly claimed that Seriki was dropped from a political arrangement by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq following adverse security reports.
Seriki has rejected the claim, describing the allegation as false, malicious and damaging to his reputation and political standing.
In the pre-action notice, his lawyer demanded a retraction of the statement, an unreserved public apology on the same platform and in national newspapers, as well as a written undertaking that Yeketi would desist from repeating the alleged defamatory remarks.
The notice reportedly warned that failure to meet the demands would leave Seriki with the option of commencing legal proceedings and seeking aggravated damages and other appropriate reliefs.
But Yeketi has refused to back down.
In a statement issued by his media team and signed by Comrade Raheem Funsho Okolo, the APC chieftain said he would not be intimidated by the legal threat.
Yeketi’s team explained that his comments were based on what it described as circulating but unconfirmed reports concerning the exclusion of some aspirants linked to the G15 bloc.
The team accused Seriki’s camp of responding with legal threats instead of publicly addressing what it described as the substance of the claims.
“Instead of clearing the air with facts and verifiable truths, this group has resorted to threatening a political father who has historically been of immense support to their cause,” the statement said.
The Yeketi camp also maintained that the APC chieftain would continue to speak on political developments in Kwara and engage with members of the public, insisting that “no amount of intimidation” would prevent him from doing so.
It challenged Seriki’s camp to present its own version of events, arguing that a legal dispute would not, by itself, resolve the political questions surrounding the controversy.
The team further cautioned against allowing the disagreement to deepen existing divisions within the ruling party.
“Resorting to legal threats against an elder statesman does nothing to clear an aspirant’s name; rather, it creates unnecessary friction and further division within the party,” it added.
Seriki’s Camp Fires Back
In the latest development, Seriki’s media team has rejected Yeketi’s characterisation of the pre-action notice as intimidation, insisting that the legal step is a demand for accountability.
In a statement from the Amba New Media Team, the group said the notice arose from specific statements attributed to Yeketi during the September 17 Oro Ilu programme, which Seriki disputes as false, misleading and capable of damaging his reputation.
“Legal notice is not intimidation — it is a demand for accountability,” the team said.
According to the statement, Seriki deliberately chose the legal route rather than engaging in what it described as unnecessary media exchanges.
The team said the demands for clarification, retraction, apology and an undertaking against further publication should be addressed through the appropriate legal channels.
It also rejected Yeketi’s team’s description of the matter as a confrontation between an “elder statesman” and a younger political camp.
“Age, political experience, position, status or affiliation does not place anyone beyond accountability,” the statement said.
The Seriki camp further argued that if there are genuine concerns about the APC, its internal processes, political aspirations or the conduct of any member, such matters could be raised through established party structures and other lawful avenues.
It maintained that public statements capable of damaging an individual’s reputation should be supported by verifiable evidence.
The media team urged Yeketi’s camp to exercise restraint and allow “facts, evidence and due process” to determine the matter.
“This is not about silencing anyone. It is not about preventing political criticism. It is about ensuring that public discourse is guided by facts, evidence and responsibility,” the statement added.
The Seriki camp said its principal would continue to respect the APC, the media and the courts while defending his reputation through lawful means.
The allegations at the centre of the dispute have not been adjudicated by a court.
