Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, has instituted a N2.5 billion libel suit against a Presidential aide, Mrs Lauretta Onochie over an alleged libellous publication.
He was at the Registry of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama where he formally deposed to his own witness statement on oath before the Commissioner for Oaths to kick-start the libel suit against Onochie, an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku, who was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23, 2019, presidential election, had in May this year threatened legal action against Onochie, who is the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media.
The legal action was in connection to a publication wherein, Onochie on her twitter handled, alleged that Atiku is on the watch list of security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for alleged criminal matters.
Onochie in the said publication of May 7, 2019, also accused Atiku of shopping for terrorists in the Middle East.
“Atiku on UAE watchlist – security sources; Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has been in Middle East nation for several weeks now. What is he doing there? Me: shopping for terrorists?
The PDP presidential candidate insisted that there is no iota of truth in the said publication which is beginning to affect public perception of his person, adding that, the publication since it was made has caused him national and international backlash and embarrassment as well as incalculable damages.
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Atiku while challenging the victory of President Buhari in the February 23 presidential poll at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the Supreme Court was in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) until last week when he returned to the country.
This move was confirmed to Channels TV by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome who described Onochie’s statement as not only vile and denigrating but a calculated attempt to disparage Atiku’s person in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.