National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has dragged Arise Television through court for what he described as defamatory comments on his person.
The LP chairman is claiming N100 million from Arise TV in damages for the defamation of his character and reputation.
He is accusing Arise TV of publishing false information about him.
He said Arise TV allegedly spread defamatory statements against him.
He is therefore demanding N100 million in compensation from the broadcast medium, claiming that he was defamed when the TV outfit granted an interview to the party’s former spokesperson, Abayomi Arabambi, who made unfounded allegations that smeared his integrity.
Abure asked Edo State High Court in suit number B/35/2023, which was filed on the 18th of January 2023 by his counsel, President Aigbokhan, to put a perpetual injunction and prevent Arise TV and its agents from engaging in any further defamation of his person, reputation, or character.
Abure claimed that Arise TV in its morning show granted an interview to Arabambi, which was posted on a social media platform, Youtube, dated the 11th day of December 2022, wherein he made several defamatory statements against him (Abure).
According to Abure, the television, through the former LP spokesperson made unfounded and libellous statement against him.
Abure alleged that Arabambi impinged on his character by saying: “That Barr Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labor Party (LP), FORGED a court of Appeal Judgment of the 18th day of November 2022 and enlisted to INEC twenty-seven (27) candidates instead of the legally approved fifteen (15) candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“That Barr Julius Abure sent a forged list of twenty-seven (27) names to INEC dated 25th November 2022 signed by Barr Julius Abure as National Chairman and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim as National Secretary and also offered the copies as proof to ARISE TV, the morning programme.
’”That Barr Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, diverted over Forty Million Naira (40,000, 000, 00) from sales of party nomination form into his private transport company account with Access Bank Plc as payment thus grossly violating the provisions of the Labour Party Constitution 2019 as amended by enriching himself fraudulently and subsequently denying the candidates tickets after collecting their monies.
“That an urgent financial audit inquiry of all of the Labour party’s finances be done in order to identify the amount of financial misconduct and impropriety perpetrated through illicit transactions from sales of party nomination forms and expressions of interest.
“That Barr Julius Abure, brought in four (4) thugs with improvised arms or pistols that are not members of DSS or any of the licensed security operatives to harass him during the NWC meeting that took place at Barcelona Hotel Wuse 2 Abuja caught on CCTV Camera.
“That Barr Julius Abure, brought in four (4) thugs with improvised Arms or pistols that are not members of any of the licensed security operatives.
“That Labour Party has been entirely southernized, and its makeup no longer reflects any pan-Nigerian perspective.
“That Mr. Peter Obi has never participated in any significant and successful meetings with the National Executive Council NEC of the party due to the fact that Barr Julius Abure and Clement Ojukwu, the National Organizing Secretary, have monopolised Peter Obi with their falsehoods.
“That the Presidential Campaign Committee PCC has excluded members of the National Working Committee, NWC from the South West in the presidential campaign and noted that none of the six (6)national working committee NWC members from the southwest was part of the campaign rallies in Ibadan and Ogun States amongst others.
“That the Presidential Campaign Committee PCC has excluded members of the National Working Committee, NWC from the South West in the presidential campaign.”
A report by Freedom Watch, said that Abure asserted that the statements made by the defendant during the interview with the Arise TV News Morning Show had harmed his reputation as the national chairman of the Labour Party and had brought a decline in the amount of standing he possessed in society.
He further stated that the principles of fairness, accuracy, and balance in the coverage of political campaign activities were not adhered to in the process of granting the aforementioned interview because the Television station did not make any effort to get his side of the story before granting the interview.
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