Vice Presidential Debate: Sowore Drags BON, NEDG To Court Over Exclusion

Mr Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, on Wednesday filed a suit against the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG).

Sowore sued the NEDG over the exclusion of his party’s Vice-Presidential Candidate, Mr Rabiu Rufai in the debate which held on Dec. 14.

The suit, with No. CV/652/2018, was filed by the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr  Inibehe Effiong, in company of its Deputy National Secretary, Mr  Joshua Adeoye at the FCT High Court, Maitama.

Other respondents in the suit are Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), BON Chairman and CEO of  Channels Television, Mr John Momoh.

In the suit filed by its legal adviser, the AAC claimed that the exclusion of its vice presidential candidate in the debate was an act of discrimination and malice against the party and its candidates.

The party is praying the court to declare that the deployment of the state media apparatus by the organisers of the debate to the advantages of the five selected parties who participated in the debate and exclusion of its candidate contravenes Section 100(2) of the Electoral Act 2010.

The party through its legal adviser was also asking the court in the suit to declare that AAC and Mr Sowore are entitled to equal media time to participate in the January 19, 2019 presidential debate.

Effiong said that such gesture was necessary for its presidential candidate to propagate the manifesto of the AAC as provided for in Section 100(3) of the Electoral Act as amended and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code (6th Edition, 2016).

The party through its legal adviser also filed a motion on notice for an order of injunction restraining the NEDG, BON and John Momoh from organising the Jan. 19, 2019 debate without including its presidential candidate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several documents, affidavit including nine exhibits were filed to accompany the suit.

NAN also reports that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.