Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof.
\nAttahiru Muhammad Jega, has obtained an injunction from an Abuja High
\nCourt against Nigerian Pilot Newspapers and Nigerian Newsworld
\nMagazine restraining reportage on him and his activities till further
\nnotice.
\nNigerian Pilot had on April 14, 2015 formally written to the INEC
\nchairman seeking audience with him on issues thrown up in a four-month
\ninvestigation the newspaper did on his tenure as the country\u2019s chief
\nelectoral superintendent in fulfilment of the demands of the
\nprofession.
\nBut his solicitors instead replied the missive on April 20, 2015,
\nasking that Nigerian Pilot acquaint them with details of its findings
\nwhich the INEC chairman would respond to in writing devoid of a formal
\ninterview.
\nThree days after the receipt of the lawyers\u2019 letter, the court order was given.
\nThe Certified True Copy of the court order which followed an ex-parte
\nmotion filed by his lawyer, A. B. Mahmoud of Dikko &Mahmoud before His
\nLordship, Hon. Justice D. Z. Senchi of the High Court, Apo, Abuja, on
\nApril 23, 2015, reads:
\n\u201cAn order of Interim Injunction is hereby granted restraining the
\ndefendants\/respondents whether by themselves, their officers, privies,
\nagents, employees or otherwise howsoever called from publication in
\ntheir Nigerian Pilot Newspapers and the Nigerian Newsworld Magazine,
\nwhether print or online edition or in any medium whatsoever the
\nlibellous findings and conclusions pertaining to the
\nplaintiff\/applicant and to have been unearthed after the
\ndefendants\/respondents four months period of thorough investigation
\nand scrutiny of the plaintiff\u2019s activities as INEC boss referred to in
\ntheir letter of\u00a0 April 14, 2015 addressed to the plaintiff pending the
\nhearing and determination of the motion on notice filed along with the
\nsubstantive action now before this court.\u201d
\nThe case has been fixed for\u00a0May 20, 2015\u00a0for mention.
\nNigerian Pilot Newspapers and Nigerian Newsworld Magazine have since
\nfiled a counter suit.
\nIn his four-point prayers, Jega asked the court to declare that the
\ndefendants so called \u201c4 months period of investigation and scrutiny\u201d
\nof the plaintiff\u2019s activities as INEC boss, which \u201cunearthed shocking
\nrevelations of malfeasance, self-enrich and abuse of office\u201d and the
\nfinding and conclusion reached by the defendants regarding the honesty
\nand integrity of the plaintiff that \u201csharply contrast with public
\nperception\u201d without confronting the plaintiff with the so-called
\nallegations or documents containing such allegations in their
\npossession and affording him the opportunity of rebutting such
\nallegations are malicious, in bad faith, amount to blackmail and undue
\nharassment.
\nThe INEC boss also prayed the court to restrain the defendants, by
\nthemselves, their servants, agents or privies or otherwise however,
\nfrom proceeding with the publication threatened to be published
\nagainst the plaintiff in their letter of 14th April, 2015 for being
\nlibellous and intended to injure his reputation.
\nIn the alternative, Jega sought an order of the court directing the
\ndefendants to submit to the court the result of the defendants\u2019 so
\ncalled \u201cthrough investigations and scrutiny of the plaintiff\u2019s
\nactivities as INEC boss\u201d to enable the court determine the public
\ninterest dimension of the allegations and direct if such publication
\ncould in the public interest be published by the defendants or any
\nother person.
\nHe further sought damages in the sum of N1billion as his solicitors\u2019
\nfees and the cost of the action.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Muhammad Jega, has obtained an injunction from an Abuja High Court against Nigerian Pilot Newspapers and Nigerian Newsworld Magazine restraining reportage…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n