The court Tuesday adjourned the suit for further direction on the court processes served by counsel to both parties in the suit.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, had instituted the N150 billion suit against AIT for peddling false accusations against his personality in the documentary titled: ‘Lion of Bourdilion.’
According to him, the documentary was politically-sponsored to tarnish his reputation in the eyes of the public.
Justice Akinkugbe, had on April 1 granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the AIT from further airing the documentary, pending the determination of the libel suit.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to AIT, Mr. Jeffery Kadiri, told the court that he had filed all the necessary pleadings in the matter.
Responding, Tinubu’s counsel, Mr. Ademola Adesiyun, asked the court in a motion dated June 26 for extension of time in which to file a reply to AIT’s statement of defense and counter-claim.
AIT had in its counter-claim and statement of defence, listed its Chairman emeritus, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and seven others as witnesses to testify against Tinubu.
Others listed to testify were Namure Edoimioya, Chief Medan Tenke, Ajibola Adewusi, Olumide Idowu, Chief Stanley Odidi, Mr. Nwabueze and Dr Stanley Bassey.
The broadcast outfit also denied each and every allegation of facts as contained in the claimant’s amended statement of claim.
Dokpesi, in his statement on oath, averred that Tinubu’s claim was founded on a non-existing grounds because the said documentary was not titled: “The Lion of Bourdilon”, but “Unmasking the Real Tinubu.”
He also averred that the documentary, in his honest opinion, was not false and was not aired out of malice to the person of the claimant.
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 averred that the content of the documentary were facts which had been in the public domain for over two decades.
According to him, these were published independently prior to the broadcast and had remained unchallenged till date.
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