A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Vice Presidential
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress has issued a seven-day ultimatum to
Femi Fani-Kayode to apologize over his “defamatory statements” against him, PREMIUM TIMES Reports.
In a letter dated February 28 addressed to Mr. Fani-Kayode,
who is the Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples’ Democratic Party
Presidential Campaign Organization, Mr. Osinbajo demanded N2 billion as
damages.
He also demanded an immediate retraction of the “offensive
and derogatory” publication and an apology on four Television channels and
national newspapers.
“Be advised that if we do not receive your formal retraction
and apology and damages as demanded within seven days of receipt hereof, we
shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek appropriate legal remedies
for your publication and dissemination of defamatory statements,” Mr. Osinbajo
wrote, through his lawyer, Femi Falana, also a senior advocate.
According to Mr. Fani-Kayode, Bola Tinubu, the APC’s
National Leader, had nominated Mr. Osinbajo as part of “plans to come to power
through the back door”.
“Tinubu, according to our information, has compelled
Osinbajo to swear to an oath that after six months in office, he would resign
as the vice president, in the unlikely event that their party wins,” Mr.
Fani-Kayode said in his press statement titled ‘APC is Selling a Dummy to the
Whole World; Tinubu is the Real Candidate.’
“The wicked plot, as laid out by them, is to force Osinbajo
to resign for Tinubu to be nominated by Buhari as his replacement.”
Mr. Falana said that the statement, wherein he labelled Mr.
Osinbajo as Mr. Tinubu’s ‘stooge,’ hurt the vice presidential candidate having
been disseminated to millions of TV viewers, including on print and online
media.
“As it were, the statement has now been published and
circulated to an undetermined number of people in Nigeria, and internationally
outside Nigeria,” Mr. Falana said.
“The direct meaning, imputation, purport and/or innuendo or
insinuation of the false, misleading and defamatory statements is that:
‘Professor Osinbajo is deceitful. Essentially, you alleged that his motivation
and pledge to serve as Vice President of Nigeria is inconsistent with his
avowed desire to serve this nation with General Buhari, and work assiduously to
deliver the benefits of his commitment, party and personal promises to the
people.’
“Your characterization of Professor Osinbajo as a ‘stooge’
in context suggests that he is complicit in a fraud against the Nigerian
people.”
Mr. Falana further said that Mr. Fani-Kayode’s statements
imply that his client lacks integrity and had engaged in a conduct incompatible
with his faith and ethics as a pastor and respected lawyer.
“It is clear that the entire publication was a vicious,
wicked and reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him
in the estimation of right thinking members of the public,” Mr. Falana added.
On Monday, Mr. Tinubu had threatened to sue the owners of
African Independent Television, AIT, for airing a documentary he deemed
defamatory “in all respects.”
The hour-long documentary titled ‘Unmasking the Real
Tinubu,’ which is still airing on the TV station, showcased various properties
and companies across Lagos purportedly owned by Mr. Tinubu, described as
“Nigeria’s biggest landlord.”
It also depicted the APC leader as power-drunk and claimed
he was “charged for narcotics” in 1993 in the United States.
Mr. Tinubu gave Daar Communications Limited, the owners of
the TV station, 24 hours to apologize and retract the publication.
He also demanded N20 billion as damages.
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