Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has demanded ₦25 billion in damages from the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, over alleged defamation of character and libel.

The governor is also seeking a public apology, to be published in three national daily newspapers, as part of remedies for the alleged defamatory publication.

The demands were contained in a letter dated December 22, 2025, addressed to Aziegbemi and signed by the governor’s lawyer, R.I.D. Okezie, Esq. The letter was titled “Demand for damages and apologies for defamation of the character of the Executive Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo.”

According to the letter, Governor Okpebholo accused Aziegbemi of making defamatory statements capable of harming his personal reputation and undermining the integrity of the office of the governor. The PDP chairman was reportedly given a seven-day ultimatum to pay the ₦25 billion damages and publish a retraction and apology in three national newspapers.

The letter stated that the governor’s attention was drawn to a press release allegedly issued on January 7, 2025, in which Aziegbemi reportedly described himself as the factional chairman of the Edo State PDP Caretaker Committee. The release was said to have been widely circulated in newspapers and across online media platforms.

The governor’s legal team alleged that the publication contained statements that disparaged the governor’s character, ridiculed his public image, and portrayed him negatively. It further claimed that the publication damaged an image the governor had built over the years as a responsible politician, dating back to his tenure as a senator in the National Assembly.

As of the time of filing this report, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi and the Edo State PDP had not issued any public response to the governor’s demands.