Defamation: Nigerian Political Party Demand N500 Million From ChannelsTV

A Nigerian political party, Youth Party (YP) has threatened to sue ChannelsTV over an alleged defamatory comment against the party by Olatunbonsu Bolarinwa.

According to Sahara Reporters, the Nigerian political party, YP in a letter signed by its counsel, Eze Okam, to the Managing Director of ChannelsTv demanded a retraction with a public apology carried with the same prominence on its platform and a national newspaper within the next seven (7) days.

The letter partially reads thus, “We act as Solicitors to Youth Party (hereinafter referred to as “our Client”) and on whose instructions we write on the above captioned subject matter.

“We were informed by our Client that on Sunday, 25th July 2021, your television station in one of its programmes, Sunday Politics, anchored by one of your presenters Mr Seun Okinbaloye broadcast falsely and maliciously comments made by one Mr. Olatunbonsun Bolarinwa of Young Progressive Party (YPP) against our Client, viewed by people. In the said programme, your television station broadcast the following words defamatory of our Client.

'Youth Party that has been deregistered by INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and LASIEC (Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission) was on the ballot paper and participated in the election'. 

 “The above statement was made and broadcast alongside our Client’s party logo by your television station to millions of viewers.

"The natural and ordinary meaning of the words complained of above meant and were understood to mean that our Client is not a duly registered political party in Nigeria and illegally participated in the just concluded local government election in Lagos State.

“Furthermore, your malicious statement has lowered our Client’s reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society, especially the respectable persons that have viewed the said programme.

 “We hereby demand that you immediately publish in a national daily newspaper, an unreserved apology to our Client, retracting your slanderous statements within 7 (Seven) days of receipt of this letter; that is Tuesday, 3rd August 2021.

 “Kindly, be assured of our Client’s strong resolve to institute legal action against you for slander in the event that you fail to accede to our demands. You may be liable for the following: A declaration that your above false statement against our Client amounts to defamation;

 “An order mandating you to tender an unreserved written apology to our Client; An order of perpetual injunction restraining you from further defaming our Client; General damages in the sum of ₦500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira); and Cost of action including our professional fees.”