Court strikes out Buhari’s defamation suit against AIT

Justice John Tsoho of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, strikes out a defamation suit filed by President Muhammadu Buhari against DAAR Communications, owners of the African Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM.

The AIT is owned by business mogul and politician, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Tsoho, while striking out the suit said, no representations from the parties in the matter have been entered since the matter was assigned to the court.

According to the Judge, “This is against the rules of court, all opportunities given for the plaintiff and the respondents to put life in the suit have failed. The suit is hereby struck out.”

President Buhari had filed the suit in 2015 challenging the documentary transmitted by the station, allegedly aimed at defaming his character in the eyes of the public.

The president averred that the video documentary aired by the television station was aimed at giving him away as a dictator and religious bigot.

He also stated that the documentary was also shown on the state-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Before the action, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had written to the two stations, describing the video as fabricated and defamatory.

Subsequently, the presidential candidate of the APC, as he was then, approached the court with the suit.

The defamation suit filed last year by President Buhari was struck out for being abandoned by parties in the matter.