Emefiele demands ₦25 billion damages from Akpabio for defamatory remark

Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has demanded the sum of ₦25 billion as damages from Senate President Godswill Akpabio over an alleged defamatory remark.

This demand was contained in a letter by Matthew Burkaa, counsel to Emefiele, which was made available to journalists on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

Emefiele is also seeking a public apology from Akpabio following recent comments made by the Senate President regarding the former CBN governor's tenure in office.

Akpabio had accused Emefiele of implementing policies that contributed to the current economic hardship experienced by millions of Nigerians.

During an event in Port-Harcourt on Sunday, Akpabio remarked, "I remember President Obama saying you cannot know Washington until you get to Washington. So by the time we went in to look at the economic situation of the country, it was terrible."

He went on to express uncertainty about what charges to bring against Emefiele but suggested negligence in economic policy decisions.

Emefiele's counsel noted the need for accountability in public statements, particularly from high-ranking officials, and called for a retraction of the remarks along with the demanded damages.