The Fani-Kayode and Fashola Connection
+ All The Messy Details Revealed…
Popular media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu, makes headlines once again after her baseless libel suit against Yemisi Wada was thrown out of Lagos High Court on Friday.
The lawsuit which demanded N200million damages for a “libelous” publication against her was filed by Mrs. Abudu after she was released from EFCC custody, having been arrested and questioned for misappropriation of funds, generated through a Benefit Concert, held in 2009.
According to Justice Oyekan Abdullahi, who handled the case, the publication in question made no claims that could constitute defamation; he went further to advise both plaintiffs and accused to go settle their differences as friends.
According to SOCIETY REPORTERS source, the reason for all this drama goes way back to a time of friendships, romantic relationships, backstabbing, and half-truths.
Yemisi Wada runs a reputable NGO, Havens Children that caters to the poor and physically challenged, while Mo Abudu runs a media-based organisation, EbonyLife TV.
Society Reporters’ investigation revealed that Mo Abudu and Yemisi Wada were friends of many years before things fell apart between them.
The friendship between the two women, however, crashed when one of the ladies decided she wasn’t satisfied with her man and took a liking to the other friend’s man.
Our source alleges that it was Mo Abudu who took the first step in this direction, by having an affair with Mr. Femi Fani Kayode, the controversial former Minister of Aviation, who was then married to Mrs. Yemisi Wada. This never went well with their mutual friends who frowned at this betrayal. The bickering between the two women was so messy that even Fani-Kayode confided in some people that he wondered why his former wife would not get over his affair with Mo Abudu since she has since re-married.
Years later, the paths of these two women crossed again. This time around, a former Lagos governor was the crux of their grievances. Insiders disclosed that Yemisi was the first to be “close” to this former governor. Along the line, Mo Abudu came and penetrated her way into his heart and government.
DISGRACED MO
In 2009, Mo Abudu had an opportunity to get government funding for her project and like any good businesswoman, she seized this opportunity. But rather than find a project of her own to champion, she decided to organize a benefit concert, promising to use the proceeds to set up a shelter for the destitute, knowing very well that this was a project her friend, Mrs. Wada was invested in.
The funding came and the concert was a veritable success. It seemed all was going well until there was no shelter in sight, except if it was built in the sky, and no plans for one was disclosed.
This, reportedly, was the final straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back, as Mrs. Wada could no longer be quiet concerning her friend’s shenanigans, believing that it would rub off badly on her and her NGO’s reputation.
Thus, she put in a word with the EFCC, accusing Mrs. Abudu of misappropriation of funds. Thereafter, an arrest and questioning were carried out. This was done in the most hush-hush manner, after which Mrs. Abudu was released from their custody.
It was at this point that she decided to file a lawsuit against Mrs. Yemisi Wada claiming damages of N200million for a “libelous” publication.
This action must have been encouraged by the fact that the EFCC found “nothing” on her, however, the case has now been thrown out of court, as the judge found no basis for a suit. Stating that there is no victor or vanquished in this case, advising instead that they go and rebuild their friendship, as friends must avoid fights and rivalry, allowing love to be the essence of their relationship.
ELATED YEMISI WADA
An elated Yemisi Wada, while reacting to the outcome of the court judgment on her Instagram handle said; “After 8 years we have the victory. There are victors here and they are the children who never benefited and live to see someone stood their ground and spoke up for them. No friendship was lost because there was never one. I thank God for Justice.”
By: Sunday Adebayo