Abayomi Arabambi, national vice chairman (South-West) of the Labour Party, has demanded a public apology, a retraction, and N50 billion in damages from Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over an alleged defamatory statement made during a podcast interview.

The demand was contained in a letter issued by the law firm Neplus Ultra Attorneys and signed by Anderson U. Asemota, Peter O. Asimegbe, and Stanley C. Eziefulle on behalf of Arabambi.

According to the letter, the legal dispute arose from comments allegedly made by Obi during the interview, where he reportedly stated that Arabambi “does not have an address.”

Arabambi’s legal team described the statement as false, malicious, and defamatory, arguing that it portrayed their client as a faceless individual without legitimacy, credibility, or standing in public life.

The lawyers further claimed that the interview was widely circulated on television stations and digital platforms, exposing Arabambi to public ridicule and damaging his reputation.

“Our client has had a known residential and business address, maintains professional and political affiliations within Nigeria, and has never been a person whose whereabouts or identity were unknown,” the letter stated.

The legal team maintained that the alleged publication caused embarrassment and harmed Arabambi’s public image and political standing.

As part of their demands, the lawyers called for an unreserved public apology to be aired on national television, published on Obi’s verified social media platforms, and carried as full-page apologies in national newspapers.

They also demanded the payment of N50 billion as compensation for the alleged injury to Arabambi’s reputation, dignity, political standing, and public image.

When Nigerians began arriving back home on emergency flights following an ultimatum from anti-migrant groups in South Africa, Steve Babaeko, alongside The Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), saw an opportunity to step up for his fellow citizens.

Steve Babaeko

The CEO of X3M Ideas explains that he saw a deep obligation, one that had nothing to do with advertising and everything to do with hospitality. For Babaeko, it was a reminder that an agency owes a duty of care to the community it exists within.

That conviction shaped the creative agency’s partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) for the newly launched ‘Welcome Home’ pilot programme at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. Rather than simply crafting a messaging campaign around the crisis, X3M Ideas helped design a tangible, physical system.

“This wasn’t built as a campaign about a crisis,” Babaeko said. “It was a hospitality agency deciding what it owes its own citizens the moment they land.”

For Babaeko, what X3M has built is infrastructure, something returnees can physically walk through, use, and benefit from the instant they clear the arrival gate.

With the MMIA pilot now officially running, NIHOTOUR directs returnees to immediate support services and issues them a Returnee Card. This card grants individuals a free first night at partner hotels, immediate transport assistance from the airport, and fast-tracked business registration support.

Furthermore, the initiative features a dedicated Restart Desk to assist returnee entrepreneurs and tradespeople with job placement referrals and business registration. This operates alongside a public Homecoming counter that tracks the cumulative number of returnees welcomed, businesses restarted, and jobs facilitated.