Hearing in the N150 billion libel suit filed against DAAR Communications by national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has been fixed for today according to Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe of the Ikeja High Court.
Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of the broadcast outfit, is one of the witnesses to testify at the hearing of the suit. Others listed to testify against Mr. Tinubu are Namure Edoimioya, Medan Tenke, Ajibola Adewusi, Olumide Idowu, Stanley Odidi, Nwabueze and Stanley Bassey.
Mr. Tinubu had instituted the N150 billion suit against Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT, over the documentary titled “Lion of Bourdilion”.
He had alleged that the documentary which the station started airing on March 1, was libellous and aimed at tarnishing his image. However, in a counter-claim filed by AIT on Tuesday, the defendant denied the allegations as contained in the plaintiff’s amended statement of claim.
Mr. Dokpesi, in his statement on oath, said that Mr. Tinubu’s claim was founded on a non- existent ground because the said documentary was not titled “The Lion of Bourdilon”, but “Unmasking the Real Tinubu”. He also said that the documentary, in his honest opinion, was not false and was not aired out of malice to the run the character in question down.
Mr. Dokpesi said AIT, 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.
He further asserted that the contents of the documentary were facts which had been in the public domain for over two decades. According to him, they were published independently prior to the broadcast and had remained unchallenged till date.
