by Ben Ezeamalu
Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday ordered the managements of Daar Communications Limited and the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, from broadcasting any documentary against Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Mr. Tsoho ordered the respondents – Daar Communications (owners of African Independent Television, AIT) and NTA – maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the applicant’s motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, were also joined as respondents in the suit.
“That leave is granted for the service of the Originating Summons and other accompanying court processes on the Respondents outside the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and in Abuja,” the judge said.
The matter was adjourned to March 13.
The applicant, Mr. Osinbajo, a Professor of Law, had filed motion ex-parte before the court on March 10 seeking an order restraining the respondents or their agents under the control of the NBC from a violation of his right to dignity of human person, right to privacy, and right to life.
The applicant stated that any means of publication or dissemination of video documentary pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice was a violation of his rights.
Mr. Osinbajo had alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party had been sponsoring defamatory documentaries against him through AIT and NTA.
For the past several weeks, both TV stations had been airing a documentary on Muhammadu Buhari, the APC’s Presidential candidate, and Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party.
Last week, Mr. Tinubu, instituted a libel suit against AIT for airing the documentary which he deemed defamatory “in all aspects”.
