BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
The Ribadu Campaign Organisation has threatened to take legal actions against the Jonathan/Sambo counterpart for violating the intellectual property rights of its campaign and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a presidential aspirant under the banner of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

This came as the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  urged the electorate to buy into his presidential quest, on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, via monetary support.

The campaign organisation, in a letter sent to the Director-General of Jonathan/Sambo campaign organisation, by Head of Media and Communication, Chido Onumah, said the issue in question was the slogan, “A New Nigeria is Possible”, which it claimed was its creation.

According to Ribadu campaign organisation, the slogan has been used in various platforms, correspondences, media and publicity materials since its inauguration six months ago.

In the last one month, the Jonathan/Sambo campaign organisation has persistently used the slogan in its TV campaigns featuring President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

“The unauthorised use of the political slogan constitutes a copyright infringement, which represents a serious breach on Mr. Nuhu Ribadu’s exclusive rights to reproduce or to make derivative works of this slogan.

“Nigerian law provides stern criminal and civil liabilities for this type of transgression and I urge you to move expeditiously to correct this infraction which, in an election year, is obviously targeted to depress the stock of our principal, and the viability of his campaign,” Onumah said.

Meanwhile, Ribadu, in a four-paragraph statement, titled: “Support Ribadu: Donate to the Campaign,” posted on his website http.//ribadu201.com, said such support was necessary to stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, electoral machine.

Enclosing Pay4me, Zenith Bank and GTB accounts where donations could be paid into, Ribadu said: “The transformational change Nuhu Ribadu is seeking cannot be realized without your support.

“We can no longer ignore the reality that we are up against powerful political forces, with well-oiled propaganda machine, and far more cash that represent an incredible obstacle to moving our beloved country forward at the expense of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.

“This is a people-powered campaign. There’s still a lot of work to be done. That’s why we need your help and donations to achieve our goals. Support Nuhu Ribadu with a donation.

“He needs your help to run a campaign that reaches every voter in every state, local government, and ward in Nigeria. We truly appreciate your support.”