Dare Babalola
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State chapter, Joe Igbokwe, has officially retracted and apologised for making false allegations against prominent businessman Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings.
The apology follows a controversial Facebook post made by Igbokwe, which claimed that Elumelu’s company took a N41.5 billion loan at a 15% interest rate per annum and defaulted, citing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The statement of retraction and apology was issued via a newspaper publication posted on Facebook on Wednesday, in which Igbokwe acknowledged that the publication was entirely incorrect and unfounded.
He emphasised that the claims did not reflect the true character or business conduct of Elumelu, who is a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Furthermore, Igbokwe expressed his sincere and unconditional apology to Tony Elumelu for any embarrassment, distress, or reputational harm the publication may have caused.
“I offer my sincere and unconditional apology to Mr. Tony Elumelu, CFR, for any embarrassment or reputational harm the publication may have caused,” the statement read.
The controversial post, which had been circulating on social media, has been disavowed by Igbokwe, who took full responsibility for the inaccurate claims.
In the retraction, Igbokwe advised the public to disregard the earlier publication in its entirety, saying, “The public is advised to disregard the earlier publication in its entirety”.
