Legal tussle that would shake the political landscape of Nigeria is imminent should Vanguard Newspapers failed to retract alleged defamatory publication authored by one Timi Frank against the person of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).
In a letter written from Femi Falana Chambers to the Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, the erudite lawyer advised the Editor to retract the offensive publication, otherwise a legal action will be instituted against it.
READ ALSO: OMG! Man Rapes Lady To Death In Ogun
From Femi Falana Chamber:
“FALANA & FALANA CHAMBERS
September 24, 2019
Mr. Eze Anaba,
The Editor,
Vanguard Newspaper,
Apapa, Lagos.
Re: N90 bn FIRS election fund, Osinbajo’s problem, not 2023 politics-Frank
We are solicitors to Professor Yemi Osinbanjo SAN, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as “our client”) on whose behalf and instructions we write this letter.
Our client’s attention has been drawn to your highly libelous story entitled “N90 bn FIRS election fund, Osinbanjo’s problem, not 2023 politics-Frank” recklessly published in the Vanguard newspaper edition of September 23, 2019.
READ ALSO: VP Osinbajo Breaks Silence Over Spurious Allegations – READY TO WAIVE IMMUNITY
In the story credited to one Comrade Timi Frank, your newspaper informed your large readership that our client’s travail “has nothing to do with 2023 but alleged mismanagement of about N90 Billion Naira (sic) released by the Federal Inland Revenue Inland Service (FIRS) to prosecute the last general elections in favour of the APC”.
The false contextual background and specific untrue and defamatory statement include the following:
“The presidency discovered how Osinbajo allegedly mismanaged N90billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
When confronted by the presidency, he confirmed to General Buhari that he indeed allegedly took N90billion from FIRS but it was used for the 2019 presidential election campaign in strategic states of the South-west.
READ ALSO: UPDATE: You Cannot Remove The 36 Dead Cows – IJARE TRADITIONAL CHIEFS WARN FULANI HERDSMEN
Gen Buhari asked for a breakdown of how the money was spent and he said he gave N11 billion to Lagos state APC leader but when the said national leader and one former APC chairman were invited for an explanation, it was confirmed that Osinbajo gave only N5billion and not N11billion to Lagos state.
‘The cabal is asking to know how come they beat PDP in the South-west with less than 60,000 votes if the money was actually spent in the strategic states of the South-west as allegedly claimed.’
The activist insisted that if the information is true, Osinbajo must resign his position as Vice President, adding that such is akin to the characteristics of ‘yahoo boys.”
READ ALSO: Festus Keyamo Reacts To His Redeployment From Min Of Niger Delta – SEE REDEPLOYMENT LETTER
It is clear that the entire publication was a vicious, wicked and reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him in the estimation of right thinking members of the public. Without any scintilla of evidence you deliberately gave the dubious impression that our client colluded with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to divert public funds to the tune of N90 billion to prosecute the 2019 general elections in the South west region.
In view of the foregoing we have our client’s firm instructions to request for the immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication coupled with apology prominently published in your newspaper.
READ ALSO: UPDATE: Oyetola Submits 35 Cabinet List For Screening At Osun Assembly – SCREENING ON MONDAY
Take notice that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek legal remedies including aggravated damages in the appropriate High Court.
Yours Sincerely,
FEMI FALANA, SAN”
www.sojworldnews.com (c) September 25, 2019
Leave a Reply