A member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, has faulted a pre-action notice served on the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Victor Opara. Opara had written on behalf of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Magodo Property Development Company Limited, Mr. Lai Omotola, demanding a public apology and the payment of ₦5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made against the Lagos-based property developer.
Reacting to the development, Faleke described the notice as misplaced, arguing that the issues raised bordered on matters of public interest which should not attract threats of litigation against a serving federal lawmaker. The lawmaker maintained that Senator Bamidele, in the course of his legislative duties, was entitled to raise concerns touching on governance, transparency and accountability without fear of intimidation.
Faleke stressed that attempts to silence lawmakers through legal threats could undermine democratic debate and weaken the oversight role of the National Assembly. He urged all parties involved to allow due process to prevail, adding that the legislature must be protected in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities in the interest of the public.
The pre-action notice, issued by Opara on behalf of Omotola, had accused Senator Bamidele of making statements considered defamatory to the company, hence the demand for a public apology and monetary compensation. As of the time of filing this report, neither Senator Bamidele nor Magodo Property Development Company Limited had issued further official responses on the matter.
