Fayemi sues Arise TV, Ekiti SDP candidate Otitoju for defamation

A former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has sued Arise TV and a politician in Ekiti State, Kayode Otitoju.

The former henchman of Ekiti State said Otitoju used the Arise News platform to defame him in the sight of right-minded people, adding that many of his friends and associates, having watched an interview granted by Otitoju and aired by the Arise news, are shunning him because they were shocked by the claims made by the APC cheifatn,

Fayemi added that Otitoju claims in the interview were not true and mere fabrication and falsehood orchestrated to paint him black and tainted his good image and record as an upright man and to destroy his future political career in Ekiti State and Nigeria.

In the suit filed before an Ekiti State High Court, Fayemi is demanding N250m from Otitoju and another N250m from Arise TV for the alleged libellous statements made by the politician as an analyst on the television station.

According to the Writ of Summons of the suit, Fayemi through his lawyer, Mr Babatunde Oke, is demanding a retraction of the defamatory statements made against him Otitoju (1st defendant) when he appeared as an analyst on NEWSDAY, a programme on Arise TV ( 2nd defendant).

The former governor is also demanding a public apology to himself which must be published in at least three prominent national newspapers in Nigeria and posted on the internet/social media.

Fayemi is also seeking the leave of the Court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making similar or further defamatory statements or publications against him. He also demand N20m as cost of the suit from them.

Fayemi explained that Otitoju, who is also a former Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State, made several grievous and damaging allegations against his person while appearing on the said programme on Arise TV on 22nd November, 2022, in which Otitoju described him (Fayemi) as “the problem we have in Ekiti.”

On the programme, the 1st defendant accused Fayemi of colluding with Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Judicial Division, to perpetrate perversion of justice in the suit filed by an All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant, Mr Kayode Ojo, against the governorship primary victory of Mr Biodun Oyebanji on January 27, 2022.

The 1st defendant alleged that the claimant manipulated the primary that produced Oyebanji as APC candidate and subsequently brought him (Oyebanji) to power.

Otitoju, a Social Democratic Party chieftain and a senatorial aspirant in Ekiti North, also alleged on the programme that Fayemi compromised the Independent National Electoral Commission in the governorship primaty between Oyebanji and the runner-up, Chief Segun Oni alleging that “Fayemi crowned Oyebanji by all means to be the Governor.”

Fayemi said on account of Defendants’ warped, myopic, untrue, ungodly and reckless malicious statements, he has been exposed and subjected to unwarranted public ridicule, odium, opprobrium, embarrassment and unprecedented disrepute.

Copies of the letters and the recorded version of the programme made by the 2nd Defendant have been pleaded and would be relied upon during the trial of the case.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.