Eniola Olayemi
Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, has filed a N40 million libel suit against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying it considered it debasing claims by the former Vice-President that President Muhammadu Buhari and his family owned substantial shares in 9mobile and Keystone Bank.
The suit filed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has Atiku’s aide, Mr. Phrank Shaibu as the first defendant, and Atiku as second defendant.
The plaintiff, President Buhari, is asking the court to order the defendants to pay the sum of N30 million in damages as financial loss the plaintiff incurred and an additional N10 million for general damages.
It also instituted another N375,000 being “incidental expenses and/or legal charges which the 1st Plaintiff incurred in respect of this matter”.
Witness in the case is Director of Communication and Strategic Planning of BCO, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim.
“The 2nd Defendant permitted and sponsored the 1st Defendant, Mr. Phrank Shaibu to make and publish defamatory and damaging statement against the 1st Plaintiff in order for 2nd Defendant to get undue advantage in terms of votes from the member of the public more than the 1st Plaintiff (Buhari), the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
“That the 2nd Defendant who is a Presidential Candidate of the People Democratic Party hanged on this publications and using same on every campaign grounds to smear the person of the 1st Plaintiff to his supporters and other members of the public.
“That the 1st Defendant as an agent to the 2nd Defendant who is freely accessible to members of the public for patronage on behalf the 2nd Defendant, has the duty to investigate any information/ documents means to be issued out either by words of mouth or publication to the members of public, most particularly where such information concerned a third party or any member of the public.
“That the 1st Defendant without investigating the authenticity of the purported defamatory information with intent to damage the reputation and integrity of the 1st Plaintiff caused to be published in the Newspapers. That the Plaintiffs shall tender two daily newspapers the Vanguard and Punch Newspapers both dated 27th December,2018 before the court during the hearing.
“That the 1st Defendant, to investigate and to ascertain the true ownership of the Keystone Bank Plc and 9Mobile Ltd (EtisaIat) needed only to go to the Corporate Affairs Commission to find out whether the said Companies truly belong to the 1st Plaintiff before publishing that the Companies were bought and owned by the 1st Plaintiff, his family and friends in the purported publications.
“That the Defendants having willingly refused to so do, have failed to exercise due diligence and were therefore negligent.
“That the 1st Defendant for and on behalf of the 2nd Defendant negligently caused to be published defamatory and damaging statements against the 1st Plaintiff and the 2nd Defendant gave the 1st Defendant and his cohorts the mandate to use the said publications against the Plaintiffs all over the place.”
“That the neglectful acts of the Defendants more particularly that of the 1st Defendant has caused grave pain, embarrassment and integrity question to the Plaintiffs more particularly to the 1st Plaintiff (Buhari)”, BCO stated in the suit.
