The Federal High Court on Wednesday in Abuja struck out defamation suit
filed by President Muhammadu Buhari against DAAR Communications, operators
of the African Independent Television.
Justice John Tsoho held that the court was compelled to strike out the
suit because it appeared abandoned.
According to him, no representations from the parties have been entered
since the matter was assigned to the court.
He said, “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.”
Buahari had filed the suit in 2015 challenging the alleged documentary
transmitted by the station aimed at defaming his character in the eyes of
the public.
The President averred that the video documentary aired by the television
station was aim at giving him away as a dictator and religious bigot.
He also averred that the documentary was also shown on the state-owned
Nigerian Television Authority.
Before the action, the APC national leadership had written to the two
stations describing the video as fabricated and defamatory.
Subsequently, the presidential candidate of the APC, as he was then, was
approached the court with the suit.
The DARR Communication is owned by a chieftain of the PDP, Chief Raymond
Dokpesi. (NAN).