El-Rufai explains why in court against Kaduna lawmaker, ChannelsTV

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has sued a member of the State House of Assembly, Henry Marah, and Channels Television claiming N3 billion as damages for alleged defamation.

The suit followed an interview granted by Mr Marah on ChannelsTV on June 5, 2024 after an ad-hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly submitted its report on the eight-year tenure of Mallam El-Rufai.

In a concurrent writ of summons filed by his legal representatives, A. U. Mustapha and Co., dated July 8, 2024, El-Rufai said the lawmaker’s utterances during the programme were malicious, defamatory, injurious and had caused him loss of goodwill and reputation.

The case with suit CV/3188/24/ has Mr Marah and ChannelsTV as the first and second defendants, respectively.

He accused the television station of providing a platform for the lawmaker to make the defamatory comments he complained about, and therefore sought the following orders and declarations.

“The malicious and defamatory publication was widely circulated in print and electronic versions and accessible to the general public both locally and internationally.

“The claimant avers that the television interview has done irreparable injury and damage to his hard-earned reputation by portraying him as corrupt, a fraud, a thief, liar, deceiver, untrustworthy, unreliable, and someone who lacks integrity and who breached his oath of office.

“The claimant further avers that the publication has done irreparable injury and damage to his hard-earned reputation by portraying him as someone who led a government that embezzled or siphoned borrowed funds belonging to the state in the guise of projects which were never completed.

“The claimant further avers that the above publication complained about has direct inference and constitutes a serious and scandalous charge against him as a reputable person, former public office holder, professional quantity surveyor of repute and accomplishment, and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State who was elected twice by the good people of Kaduna State for the position of Governor of Kaduna State,” Mr El-Rufai’s lawyers said.

Mr El- Rufai, therefore, sought the court to declare that, “the interview granted by the 1st Defendant on the Programme “Politics Today” [a television programme widely watched, locally and internationally] anchored by Mr. Seun Okinbaloye, a presenter/staff of the 2nd Defendant, and which aired live on the 2nd Defendant’s Electronic Media Platform, ChannelsTV, on the 5th day of June, 2024, with the caption “INVESTIGATION OF ELRUFAI ADMINISTRATION” [which video is still available on YouTube] is malicious, unwarranted, without justification, defamatory, and greatly injurious to the reputation of the claimant.

“A DECLARATION that the interview granted by the 1 Defendant on the Programme “Politics Today” [a television programme widely watched, locally and internationally] anchored by Mr. Seun Okinbaloye, a presenter/staff of the 2nd Defendant, and which aired live on the 2nd Defendant’s Electronic Media Platform, Channels Television, on the 5th day of June, 2024, with the caption “INVESTIGATION OF ELRUFAI ADMINISTRATION” [which video is still available on YouTube] wherein the 1st Defendant made the defamatory utterances constitutes a publication of the defamatory materials.

“AN ORDER directing the 2nd Defendant to pull down, withdraw/or otherwise stop or cease the publication of same defamatory content from YouTube forthwith.

“A DECLARATION that the Claimant is entitled to an unreserved apology from each of the Defendants for the defamatory content uttered against him by the 1st Defendant and published/aired live by the 2nd Defendant via its electronic media platform, Channels Television, on the 5th day of June, 2024, on the programme, Politics Today [which video is still available on YouTube].

“AN ORDER directing both Defendants to individually/separately tender, in 5 [five] national daily newspapers and on Channels Television, consecutively for 5 [five] days, an unreserved apology to the Claimant for the loss of reputation and goodwill as a result of the malicious and defamatory utterances [by the Ist Defendant] and publication [by the 2nd Defendant] against the person of the Claimant as contained in the 5 day of June, 2024 interview session on Politics Today, a program anchored by the 2nd Defendant’s Presenter/Staff and aired live on its Electronic Media Platform, Channels Television.

“The sum of N3,000,000,000.00 [three billion naira] only against the 1st Defendant, jointly and severally, as general damages for the injury, embarrassment, and distress suffered by the Claimant respect of the loss of reputation and goodwill as a result of the malicious, unwarranted, and defamatory publication against the person of as contained in the 5th day of June, 2024 interview session on Politics Today, a programme anchored by the 2nd Defendant’s Presenter/Staff and aired live on its Electronic Media Platform, Channels Television.

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, by themselves and/or through their agents, privies, representatives, staff, etc, from further defaming the of the claimant and publication of defamatory content against the person of the claimant.”