A federal high court sitting in Lagos has restrained Africa Independent television (AIT), Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the Broadcasting Organisatiion of Nigeria (BON) against airing any damaging video against Yemi Osinbajo, a professor of law and vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
For a number of weeks, AIT and NTA aired a documentary on Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of APC, detailing his “many atrocities” while in power as head of state. This was then followed by a similar video chronicling a series of alleged financial misconduct against Bola Tinubu, an APC leader and former governor of Lagos.
Osinbajo, claiming that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had marked him out as the next APC bigwig to release a “damaging video” on, headed for the high court, demanding an order of interim injunction “restraining the respondents, their agents, privies, representatives and other media entities under the control of the 3rd respondent from any interference with or violation of the applicant’s right to dignity of human person, right to privacy and right to life and/or livelihood whether by means of publication or dissemination of any video documentary or by any means whatsoever pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction”.
Daar Communications (owners of AIT), NTA and BON were listed as first to third respondents.
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Osinbajo said such video would damaged his “guaranteed and protected fundamental right to life and/or livelihood, right to dignity of human person, and right to privacy and family by virtue of Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as Amended).”
He also said the planned “publication, dissemination and broadcast of a video documentary containing untrue information and injurious falsehood” about his personal circumstance, family life, communication and privacy constituted “an immediate and imminent risk of violation of his constitutional right to life, livelihood, dignity of human person and right to privacy”.
“Unless the respondents are restrained in the manner requested in this application, the potential publication, dissemination or broadcast of untrue information and injurious false statements and image regarding the applicant will irreparably violate and/or damage the applicant’s right to dignity of human person, right to livelihood and privacy guaranteed and protected under Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as Amended),” read the originating summons.
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“Damages will be grossly inadequate to compensate or redress the unquantifiable, unwarranted and malicious damage to the applicant’s right to dignity of human person, right to livelihood and privacy guaranteed and protected under Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as Amended).”
On Wednesday, the matter commenced with originating summons taken out by Femi Falana (SAN), Abimobola Ojenike and Fidel Albert.
Granting the restraining order, Justice James Tsoho said no video should be aired and the status quo should be maintained until the determination of the substantive suit.
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8 comments
So the pastor has some dirty secrets? God save Nigeria.
This is not about Osinbajo hiding any dirtysecret.Should the man have waited for PDP sociopaths led by Fani Kayode to spread lies to the world before he takes action? The man has done so much for himself and his society. He knows the cost of greatness, he can’t go to sleep and let them rubbish it all for him in PDP smear campaign. Gullible people like you will be happy to spread the lies.
For these PDP thugs, nothing is beyond them. Since they have no integrity to protect, they don’t care destroying others’ hard-won integrity with brazen lies, fabrications and distortions. Femi Fani-kayode and Fayose are the faces of roforofo fighters, the PDP. They indeed talk first and think later, that is if they ever think. This is the worst Government Nigeria ever had. It is an embarrassment to the majority of self-respecting Nigerians. Only psychiatric patients can do what the duo are doing without any iota of shame. Fani-Kayode definitely has a personality complex, this is why he always cultivates the friendship of those in power and wants to be seen with them. Any one who takes Femi as a friend, needs not have any other enemy, because anytime he shifts allegiance, which cam be any time and for no reason, he will just regurgitate all the kept private information to his new friends. Femi Fani-Kayode is indeed a beast of no classification, he is more than an infant, who has no sense of right and wrong.Femi is a-moral, a perpetual scavenger, always hungry for money, a shame and disgrace to his generation and to the Ife people.
They say a clear concience fears no accusations
na waoo even pastor hand no clean then tell me who is a saint God help Nigeria.
It is funny that APC is suing PDP for character assassination. He who builds class house does not throw stones…the hunter is becoming hunted. Whatever a man sows, he reaps…
Electioneering process opens the eyes of the voters, so no facts must be hidden. What they aired about Buhari are age along fact and truth…or is he afraid of his own fact? APC too should come up with facts if they have any…let them air it or is it because nobody is watching T.V. Continental?
Please I can see they are feeling the heat already. People with skeletal records should not contest public office if they are afraid of being criticised. Whoever comes to equity, must come with clean hands….they started it and we need more facts to sensitise Nigerians.
skeleton in his cupboard. he who goes to equity must come with clean hand.
I just wonder.