Vice Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has sued the Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, Femi Fani-Kayode over his “defamatory statements” against him. He also gave him a 7- day ultimatum to retract his statements and apologise on 4 television channels and national newspapers.
Recall that the former Aviation minister in a press briefing held few days ago had said Bola Tinubu, the APC’s National Leader, had nominated Mr. Osinbajo as part of plans to come to power through the back door and had also compelled him to swear to an oath that after six months in office, he would resign as the vice president. He added that the plot is to force Osinbajo to resign for Tinubu to be nominated by Buhari as his replacement.
Below are excerpts of the letter the Senior Advocate Of Nigeria wrote through his lawyer, Femi Falana to Femi Fani-Kayode.
“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,”
As it were, the statement has now been published and circulated to an undetermined number of people in Nigeria, and internationally outside Nigeria. 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.”
“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 wrote.