AIT, NTA barred from airing anti- Osinbajo video

A federal high court sitting in Lagos has
restrained Africa Independent television (AIT),
Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the
Broadcasting Organisatiion of Nigeria (BON)
against airing any damaging video against
Yemi Osinbajo, a professor of law and vice
presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
For a number of weeks, AIT and NTA aired a
documentary on Muhammadu Buhari,
presidential candidate of APC, detailing his
“many atrocities” while in power as head of
state. This was then followed by a similar
video chronicling a series of alleged financial
misconduct against Bola Tinubu, an APC leader
and former governor of Lagos.
Osinbajo, claiming that the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) had marked him out as the next
APC bigwig to release a “damaging video” on,
headed for the high court, demanding an order
of interim injunction “restraining the
respondents, their agents, privies,
representatives and other media entities under
the control of the 3rd respondent from any
interference with or violation of the applicant’s
right to dignity of human person, right to
privacy and right to life and/or livelihood
whether by means of publication or
dissemination of any video documentary or by
any means whatsoever pending the hearing and
determination of the motion on notice for
interlocutory injunction”.
Daar Communications (owners of AIT), NTA
and BON were listed as first to third
respondents.
Osinbajo said such video would damaged
his “guaranteed and protected fundamental
right to life and/or livelihood, right to dignity of
human person, and right to privacy and family
by virtue of Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(as Amended).”
He also said the planned “publication,
dissemination and broadcast of a video
documentary containing untrue information and
injurious falsehood” about his personal
circumstance, family life, communication and
privacy constituted “an immediate and
imminent risk of violation of his constitutional
right to life, livelihood, dignity of human person
and right to privacy”.
“Unless the respondents are restrained in the
manner requested in this application, the
potential publication, dissemination or
broadcast of untrue information and injurious
false statements and image regarding the
applicant will irreparably violate and/or
damage the applicant’s right to dignity of
human person, right to livelihood and privacy
guaranteed and protected under Sections 33,
34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as Amended),”
read the originating summons.
“Damages will be grossly inadequate to
compensate or redress the unquantifiable,
unwarranted and malicious damage to the
applicant’s right to dignity of human person,
right to livelihood and privacy guaranteed and
protected under Sections 33, 34 and 37 of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, (as Amended).”
On Wednesday, the matter commenced with
originating summons taken out by Femi Falana
(SAN), Abimobola Ojenike and Fidel Albert.
Granting the restraining order, Justice James
Tsoho said no video should be aired and the
status quo should be maintained until the
determination of the substantive suit.