IBADAN— Oyo State government has given the immediate past Governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, a seven-day ultimatum to withdraw what it called “a regime of spurious lies” being orchestrating in the media against it or face legal action.

In a letter to Alao-Akala and his spokesman, Mr. Dotun Oyelade,  the Oyo State government through the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, on Legal Matters, Mr. Ojo Adebayo, demanded that the former government should either personally apologize or do so through his spokesman to avoid being dragged to court.

The government noted that much as it was not averse to public criticism of any of its actions and activities, it frowned at the falsehood and campaigns of calumny that Akala had been peddling against it, which it said was capable of tarnishing its name.

The letter reads: “The attention of the Oyo State Government has been drawn to the series of spurious lies being told in the media by the defeated gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through his spokesman, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, against government and the person of the governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

This regime of falsehood is targeted at lowering the esteem and general approval given by the people of Oyo State to the governor and the government in the state which the people consider to be a better alternative to the out-gone government. Much as the government is not averse to constructive criticisms, backed up with facts and figures, it takes very strong exception to its name being dragged in the mud for selfish political ends.

But reacting to the ultimatum, the former governor said governor Ajimobi cannot cow opposition the state.

Speaking through his Spokesman, Akala said: “It is unfortunate that the new administration in Oyo State has shown that it cannot take as much as it gives in terms of enlightened public discourse.

The threat of litigation is so wide off the mark when all government is being asked to do is to clarify issues that border on its fiscal disposition to his avowed policy. Obviously that was more of a political statement than legal judging by the barrage of venom former Governor Akala had to endure from these same people.