February 04, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac, has threatened to take legal action against the immediate past First Lady of the state, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, over alleged libelous claims made against her in a recent interview.
The commissioner’s action stems from an interview granted by Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu to an online publication, Starnews, on February 13, 2025, where she made certain statements that Mrs. Isaac deemed defamatory.
In the interview, Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu was asked about her views on the current governance of Ondo State, to which she responded, “No comments. However, it’s worth noting that this same Commissioner was sacked from her position during Aketi’s first administration for financial malfeasance. You can connect the dots as to why Lucky brought her back. We are watching.”
Mrs. Isaac, through her lawyer, Olugbenga Adeyemi, has given Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu a seven-day ultimatum to retract her statements and publish an unreserved apology in the same online publication and other news outlets that carried the interview.
The commissioner’s lawyer argued that Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu’s statements were “false, wicked, slanderous, libelous, mischievous, callous, incorrect, and deliberately made to embarrass, humiliate, ridicule, slander, libel, defame, harass, and intimidate our client, her family, and the government she represents.”
The lawyer also stated that Mrs. Isaac was never sacked by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, but was rather reassigned from her position as Director-General of the Ondo State Bureau for Public Procurement to Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning in December 2019.
In a letter dated March 3, 2025, the High Court of Ondo State commanded Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu and Mr. Olumide Akinrinlola, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Starnews Organization, to enter an appearance within 30 days.
The petition reads:
“MRS. OMOWUNMI ISAAC
CLAIMANT
AND
- MRS. BETTY AKEREDOLU
- MR. OLUMIDE AKINRINLOLA
DEFENDANTS
To: (1) MRS. BETTY AKEREDOLU of BRECAN Centre, Off Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State and (2) MR. OLUMIDE AKINRINLOLA As Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Starnews Organization of 5, Ayo Oluyemi Crescent, Off Prince Adebambo Street, Egbeda, Lagos State (link unavailable)
“You are hereby commanded that within 30 days after the service of this writ on you, inclusive of the day of such service, you do cause an appearance to be entered for you in the Akure Judicial Division of the High Court of Ondo State in an action at the suit of the Claimant; and take notice that in default of your so doing, the claimant may proceed therein and judgment may be given in your absence.
Dated this 3rd day of March 2025
ADEBANJO TA.
Registrar
