NUJ FCT ELECTION: Withdraw Your Forgery Allegation Now, Or Face Criminal Libel- Sola Akingboye
Editor of RegentAfrica Times and a member of the Credential Committee for the NUJ Abuja Council Mr Sola Akingboye,, has vowed to pursue legal action against journalists Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa and Kehinde Akintola. He has given them a 24-hour ultimatum to retract their allegations of attempted forgery or face a lawsuit for criminal libel.
In a press statement signed by ‘Sola Akingboye, the Editor of RegentAfrica Times and the current Acting General Secretary of Corporate Online Editors, accused of attempting to conspire to forge the NUJ Identity Card and corresponding payment receipt, the Journalist viewed the allegation as a deliberate attempt to damage his hard-earned integrity, and harm to his career as a professional journalist. He attributes the accusations to what he describes as desperate agents of aggressive candidates in the upcoming FCT Council elections.
Recalled over the weekend that, a petition was reportedly submitted to the national secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). This petition was signed by two journalists who accused Sola Akingboye and two others of attempting to falsify the NUJ Identity Card and related payment receipts. These allegations were subsequently reported across multiple Online newspapers even before the NUJ had the opportunity to respond to the petition if a response was forthcoming.
Tagged: “NUJ FCT Elections: Aggrieved NUJ Members Seek Disqualification of Two Credential Committee Members, signed by Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa, from the Federal Ministry of Information Chapel, and Kehinde Akintola from the FCT Correspondents Chapel. The petitioners noted that they are petitioning the NUJ National President and raising concerns about a potential plot to forge receipts and ID cards for Credential Committee members.
Meanwhile, ‘Sola Akingboye, has made a vow to explore all available legal means to seek justice against the two journalists. Akingboye called on the signatories of the publication and their associates to publicly retract the criminal allegations and issue an unreserved apology within 24 hours, or face a lawsuit for criminal libel in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Given consultations with my legal team, I wish to inform Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa and Kehinde Akintola of the impending legal action over these baseless allegations,” Akingboye stated.
“It is unacceptable that they chose to go to the press without waiting for the outcomes of their petition and any invitation from the National Secretariat regarding the matter, demonstrating a clear intent to damage my reputation.”
He emphasized, “He who alleges must prove; failure to substantiate the claims of attempted forgery of the NUJ ID card will not go unchallenged in a court of law.”
In response to the allegations, Akingboye felt it necessary to clarify certain points to uphold the integrity of the journalism profession and set the record straight. As a member of the prestigious Credential Committee, he sees it as an honour to serve and aims to ensure due process and fairness in the upcoming NUJ-FCT Council election, in line with Article 6 Subsection (b5) of the NUJ Constitution.
“I will not engage in a war of words with political jobbers nor succumb to intimidation through unfounded petitions,”
“However, it is essential to address the reckless political aggression and the public forgery allegations made with utter disrespect for the established protocols—specifically, the need to await the investigation outcomes by the highest authority before rushing to make allegations in the press.” This issue is not resolved yet.” He stated.
