Tinubu petitions NBC over AIT documentary

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
| credits: File copy

A former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission over a documentary ran by the African Independent Television.

Tinubu, in the petition written by his lawyer, Mr. Tunji Abayomi, on Tuesday, described the one-hour documentary entitled “Lion of Bourdilon,” as extremely libelous.

The petition, which directed to the Director-General of NBC, said, “The libelous and injurious documentary ran twice on the Africa Independent Television on Sunday, March 1 and again at 10pm – 11pm on Monday, March 2, 2015. The said libelous documentary, we strongly believe violates the rules and regulations guiding such political adverts particularly during an electioneering year.

The Tinubu petition added that, “The said documentary is offensive, derogatory, unethical, destructive, and politically-motivated to serve the interest of the anonymous ‘sponsor.’

“You may wish to particularly note that although AIT wrote “sponsored” when broadcasting the documentary, it never during or after the broadcast revealed the “sponsors,” an indication that AIT had something to hide.

Demanding that AIT be sanctioned, the petition said Tinubu should not have been attacked because he was not running for any elective post.

“Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not running for any political office warranting undue attention to his life affairs, consequently we wonder the motive of the diligent desire of Africa Independent Television to destroy his achievement and reputation,” the petition said.

In another development, the spokesperson for President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has sued the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, for N5bn, claiming that the latter defamed him in a publication.

Denying the allegation of substance abuse levelled by Mohammed, Fani-Kayode demanded the retraction of the publication within seven days.

A statement by Fani-Kayode’s lawyer said, “Our client denies in its entirety the content of the publication and the innuendos therein and further states that every allegation against him in the said publication is false and defamatory of his person and character.”