The N150 billion libel suit filed by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against the management of the African Independent Television (AIT), has been adjourned again.
Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe of an Ikeja high court, Tuesday June 30, adjourned the suit to September 30, for further direction on the court processes served by counsel to both parties in the suit.
Leadership makes reference to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Tinubu had instituted the suit against Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT, for airing of a documentary titled ‘lion of Bourdilion’, where he alleged that the documentary was libelous and aimed at tarnishing his image.
Counsel to AIT, Mr Jeffery Kadiri, during the hearing on Tuesday, told the court that he had filed all the necessary pleadings in the matter and in his response, Tinubu’s counsel, Mr Ademola Adesiyun, asked the court in a motion dated June 26 for extension of time in which to file a reply to AIT’s statement of defence and counter-claim.
AIT listed its chairman emeritus, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Namure Edoimioya, Chief Medan Tenke, Ajibola Adewusi, Olumide Idowu, Chief Stanley Odidi, an engineer, Mr Nwabueze and Dr Stanley Bassey, as witnesses in the case.
The television station denied every allegation of facts as contained in the claimant’s amended statement of claim, with Dokpesi averring that Tinubu’s claim was founded on a non-existent ground because the said documentary was not titled ‘The Lion of Bourdilion’, but ‘Unmasking the Real Tinubu’.
AIT also claimed that, as a member of the fourth estate of the realm, was empowered by Section 22 of the Constitution to at all times, hold those in government accountable and responsible to the people of Nigeria, while their boss further affirmed that the content of the documentary were facts which had been in the public domain for over two decades.
Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain got livid with anger when the video went viral, claiming that the report was not about him.
