Sowore Sues NEDG/BON, Asking The Court To Stop Presidential Debate From Holding Without Him

Sowore Sues NEDG/BON, Asking The Court To Stop Presidential Debate From Holding Without Him

The African African Congress (AAC) has filed a lawsuit against the
Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations
of Nigeria (BON) over the exclusion of its presidential candidate,
Omoyele Sowore, from the presidential debate.

A statement by Malcolm Fabiyi, Director General of the TakeItBack
Movement and Sowore 2019 Campaign, noted that the lawsuit was filed on
Wednesday. The suit, filed by Barrister Inibehe Effiong, the AAC Legal
Adviser, asked the court to prevent the debate from going ahead without
AAC. It also asked the court to compel the NEDG/BON to explain why the
party was excluded from the debate.  

Speaking on why the party instituted a case against NEDG and BON,
Fabiyi said: “The Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG), in association
with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and Channels TV, has been
resolute in its discrimination against Omoyele Sowore, presidential
candidate for the African Action Congress. Despite being one of the top
three parties in polls and surveys, the NEDG fraudulently excluded the
AAC and selected other parties for the debate. The NEDG has cited
multiple excuses for its discriminatory refusal to include the AAC. None
of those excuses hold water.

“The nation is aware by now that the AAC party and the Take it Back
Movement will not take injustice, discrimination or oppression lightly.
We do not accept it when meted out to innocent Nigerians as we have
shown in various protests, and we certainly will not accept it against
ourselves or our efforts.

“This lawsuit should not only help ensure that the right of all
Nigerians to have an authentic, unfiltered debate about the Nigeria’s
future is assured, it would also serve notice to all those who hide
behind legitimate institutions and organizations to perpetuate the
oppression and the drowning out of legitimate voices from national
discourse, that their days of impunity are over.

“We hope that the Nigerian judicial system will show itself to be
strong, virile and independent as this case makes it way through the
courts. Nigeria MUST progress.”