The Edo State Government has served a formal 24‑hour notice on Ogbeide Ifaluyi‑Isibor, a former Commissioner in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s cabinet, demanding a retraction and public apology for a social media post it deems defamatory. The letter, signed by Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Samson Osagie, and dated June 8, accused Ifaluyi‑Isibor of publishing “malicious and defamatory” claims against Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Edo Executive Council.
The post, first shared on June 6, alleged that only three Executive Council meetings were held in eight months, that the governor primarily resides in Abuja, allegedly manipulating contract awards remotely, and accused the administration of hoarding funds to settle a pending Supreme Court judgment tied to past contracts. The government firmly rejected these claims as “completely false,” insisting that multiple meetings have been convened and citing ongoing infrastructural projects, such as the flyover construction in Benin City, as evidence.
Dr Osagie described the allegations as amounting to criminal defamation, warning that failure to comply with the 24‑hour ultimatum would result in “civil and criminal legal action through the appropriate security agencies.” The apology must be published across all social media platforms and at least one national newspaper.
Observers suggest that the government’s aggressive response underlines its zero‑tolerance stance on what it calls disinformation, especially as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
