Omowumi Isaac had earlier issued a 7-day ultimatum to Mrs Akeredolu, warning that failure to retract her statement would result in legal action
By Kehinde Okeowo
Ondo Finance Commissioner, Mrs. Omowumi Isaac, has dragged former First Lady of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu to court, slamming a N1 billion libel case on her.
The development was revealed in a summon issued by an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the capital of state.
Prior to this, Mrs Akeredolu, widow of the late former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, made headlines after granting an interview where she made remarks on her husband’s death and the return of the current First Lady, Mrs. Oluwaseun Esther Aiyedatiwa, to the Government House.
Reacting to the interview, Mrs Issac took exception to a segment where the former First Lady allegedly made direct accusations against her.
According to the Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Anyanwu-Akeredolu essentially labelled her corrupt while explaining why her late husband removed her from his cabinet.
In a subsequent letter addressed to Mrs Akeredolu in February, Issac’s lawyer, Olugbenga Adeyemi, demanded a retraction of the statements made in the interview.
He also issued a seven-day ultimatum for the retraction, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.
Following the expiration of the ultimatum, Mrs Isaac approached a court for reprieve.
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According to court documents sighted by journalists, a summons—titled Form 2 (0.5, г.4) and marked HCAK/53/CIV/2025—named Mrs. Omowumi Isaac as the claimant, with Mrs. Betty Akeredolu and Mr. Olumide Akinrinlola as the first and second defendants.
The defendants were ordered to appear before the court within 30 days of being served. The document also warned that failure to comply could result in the claimant proceeding with the case and obtaining a judgment in their absence.
The suit was filed on Monday, March 3, by the claimant through her legal representatives, O.O. Aribaba, Esq., and Taiwo Adedeji, Esq.
According to the writ, the Defendant “may enter appearance personally or by legal practitioner either by handing in the appropriate forms, duly completed, at the Registry of the High Court of the judicial division in which the action is brought or by sending them to the Registrar by registered post.”
The Claimant’s demands, both jointly and individually, against the Defendants are as follows: “Damages, including exemplary damages in the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) for libel contained in the Starnews online newspaper edition of 13th of February, 2025 under caption – ‘I wouldn’t be a widow if Aketi had listened to me- Betty Akeredolu Talks Tough’.
“Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants and each of them, whether by themselves, their servants, privies or agents or otherwise, from further publishing or causing to be published in any manner whatsoever connected to or related to the said words or similar words defamatory of the Claimant.
“An order directing the Defendants to retract or cause to be retracted the said publication and tender an unreserved apology in the form and manner to be prescribed by the solicitors to the Claimant by publishing same in one full page insertion in two national dailies to wit: The Guardian and Punch Newspaper within 72 hours of the judgment of this Honourable Court.
“And such further order or other orders as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
