Mary Odili Debunks Rumour of working with Tribunal Judges To Favour Tinubu
Retired Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili has vehemently denied any involvement with Bola Tinubu or the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), in a response to recent online allegations, terming the claims as “false, malicious, mischievous, and a deliberate attempt at smearing her integrity and solid reputation.”
The jurist who claimed to unwaveringly dedicated to upholding justice and the rule of law, was the subject of a defamatory publication authored by Jackson Ude and circulated on social media platforms.
The article alleged that Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili was actively negotiating a political pathway for Bola Tinubu and engaging in regular meetings with judges from the Appeal and Supreme Courts.
Addressing the claims, a statement issued on behalf of Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili asserted that the allegations were entirely baseless.
It categorically denied any involvement in political consultations or judicial engagements related to the Presidential Election Petition or any other election dispute. The statement, made in the interest of transparency and the public’s right to accurate information, underlined the potential harm of such false allegations on both her reputation and the nation’s public discourse.
Legal action to address the defamation has been initiated, as the statement revealed.
Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili’s legal team is demanding a retraction and a public apology from Jackson Ude, the publisher of the defamatory content.
Should this demand go unheeded, the statement conveyed the intention to seek redress through legal channels. In a parallel pursuit of justice, a criminal complaint has been lodged with the police, highlighting the severity of the false allegations.
In an even more significant stride to ensure the truth is upheld, the legal team representing the retired Hon. Justice has escalated the matter to higher authorities. Petitions have been lodged with the State Security Service, the Nigeria Police, and Interpol, urging an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the matter.
The scope of the investigation is not merely to ascertain the veracity of the allegations but also to uncover any underlying motives that could potentially incite public sentiment against a respected jurist.
The statement partly read, “While the defamation arising from the false allegation has been referred to the lawyers of her lordship to deal with in accordance with the law, we consider it appropriate, particularly for the sake of the public, to issue this unequivocal denial of the false allegation.
“We deny every allegation contained in the publication and state that the publication is false, malicious, mischievous and a deliberate attempt at smearing the integrity and solid reputation of her lordship. We say nothing of the fact that the publication has the potential of inciting the public against her Lordship on an issue of grave national importance.
“For the records, her lordship is neither a judicial consultant to anyone nor is she in any way connected with or involved in any of the presidential election petitions or any other election petition whatsoever. The public is hereby urged to disbelieve, disregard and ignore this false publication.
Lawyers acting for Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili have been instructed to demand retraction and public apology from the publisher, Jackson Ude, failing which redress will be sought in a court of law. Meanwhile, a criminal complaint has been lodged with the police. In addition, lawyers acting for Justice Mary Peter-Odili have addressed petitions to the State Security Service, the Nigeria Police and Interpol calling for immediate investigation of this grave but false and malicious allegation aimed at inciting the public against Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili (Rtd).”
