Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has told the Nigerian First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, to wait until the end of his tenure to sue him for defamation of character.
This was in response to the letter written by Aisha Buhari’s Counsel, berating Fayose for his statement about her alleged involvement in the Halliburton scandal.
The counsel to the president’s wife, Mary Ekpere & Co. had written a letter dated June 22, 2016, to Fayose, demanding a retraction of the governor’s statement and threatening legal action if the retraction was not made within five days.
However Fayose in a letter by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a copy of which was made available to reporters in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, July 13, said he enjoys constitutional immunity from civil and criminal proceedings during the period he occupies the office of the governor.
Fayose also said the statement he made regarding the alleged involvement of Mrs. Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was “correct and justified in law.”
The letter read “Our client has referred to us your letter dated 22nd June, 2016, on alleged defamation of the character of your client , Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, with firm instructions to reply to and reject same in its entirety.
“Our client states and reaffirms categorically that the statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and justified in law; having regards to a court judgement convicting one Mr. William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.
“Therein, the name of the President’s wife featured conspicuously. At page 22 of the said judgment delivered by the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209, the said Mr. William Jefferson was sentenced at 9:00am on November 13, 2009, by Mark D, Lytle. Your client, Mrs. Aisha Buhari was specifically mentioned in the judgment.”
The fact remain that the allegation is center on names Aishat Buhari name similar to President wife Unless if Fayose categorically says or direct his allegation to President wife without getting his facts right then either he enjoy immunity or not He Fayose should be prosecuted why because he should know better than rubbish that name in the name of politics and cover up under immunity Does immunity cover you from slander of the first order against another person under immunity, if so every other people under immunity should start rubbishing others for some benefit to the detriments of sovereignty of our Nation if we are really serious as a country FAYOSE should not go UN-punish as a lesson to others like him.
Highly disappointed that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria can write a rubbish reply like this – is this the level of SAN – a Charge and Bail Lawyer can do better.
The US has clarified that President Wife was not the same woman mentioned – one would expect Honourable Lawyer (SAN) would advise the Client and simply tender apology.
Really sad to confirm that it is true – the Lawyers truly aid the delay of killing Corruption in this Country.
The sooner this Government started exposing and jailing these Corrupt Lawyers – the better for us all.
Sorry I am really very angry … Lawyers like breeds Bad Politicians like Fayose