Hon. Tobias Chukwudi Egeonu, also known as Toby Chuks, has finally apologised to Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for a Facebook post he made in December 2024, which is now the subject of a N50bn defamation suit.
Egeonu’s apology comes months after Governor Otti initiated a libel suit at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari, Abuja, following a social media post he published on December 8, 2024, titled “What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist.”
Egeonu, who calls himself a public affairs analyst and political commentator, in the post, accused Otti of mismanagement of funds during his time as Group Managing Director of the defunct Diamond Bank and corruption in his current role as governor of Abia State, among others.
But in a fresh Facebook post on Monday, Egeonu admitted defaming the governor over personal political grievances that date back to 2015.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and I am truly sorry for the offence and any harm caused Your Excellency as a result of the said publication,” the letter read.
“I understand that the publication does not reflect the standards expected of me as a public affairs analyst and I deeply regret the negative impact it has had on your personality.”
Egeonu admitted his allegation against Otti was influenced by resentment over his loss of a House of Assembly ticket in 2015.
“I would not have had any reason to write that except that I had some hard feelings over your treatment of my House of Assembly Ticket in 2015 which you ceded to Ikedi Ezekwesiri who joined APGA with you from PDP,” Egeonu wrote.
Egeonu said he had previously held the APGA ticket for Umunneochi State Constituency in 2011 and claimed he was positioned to clinch the ticket again in 2015 before it was withdrawn.
He also cited another political disappointment involving the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), saying Otti’s influence denied him the position of Deputy Chairman in his local government.
On the specific claims regarding Governor Otti’s time at Diamond Bank, Egeonu said he lifted the information from Nairaland online forum.
“About the reference I made of your stint at Diamond Bank, it was what I copied from an online journal (Nairaland). The publication is still on their website. However, I hereby own it that I erred in all of it,” he added.
THE WHISTLER reported that Governor Otti’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Sonny Ajala, had described Egeonu’s allegation as a “syndicated tissue of wicked and malicious lies,” and demanded a retraction, a public apology in four national newspapers, and damages.
Despite multiple court summons, Egeonu and his lawyer were absent at the last hearing on July 3, 2025. The court, presided over by Justice A. O. Ebong, admitted the Facebook publication and related documents as evidence and adjourned the case to December 8, 2025, for cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness.
But Egeonu said he has since deleted the post from his Facebook wall and pledged not to make such statements again.
“I have been rebuked by people, I have been reprimanded by even priests. Therefore, I have seen reasons to retrace and redress my steps,” he added.
“I value the trust placed on me by my fans and friends. I am committed to regaining the confidence and trust of the public by this deep-rooted apology. ”Sir, I hope you find a place in your heart to forgive me. Once more, I apologize.”
