All Progressives Congress (APC), North West Zone, has asked members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State to prepare to face prosecution in court if they fail to provide evidence to back their allegation that the minister of Defense, Muhammad Bello Mattawalle, gave palliatives to bandits.
The APC however asked the PDP members to tender an apology on or before April 14 (two weeks) to the minister, in the pages of at least two national dailies, adding that a legal action will be taken against them if they fail to comply.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, the zonal publicity secretary of APC, Musa Mailafiya Mada said, as much as APC welcomes positive criticism from the opposition, they should not violate the provisions of freedom of speech.
Mada accused the PDP government in Zamfara State of persistently smearing Matawalle’s reputation, who is the immediate past governor of the state and now the junior minister of Defence.
Stressing that the allegation against Mattawalle can never be overlooked, Mada said sponsors of the fake news against the minister must either provide proof of the alleged foodstuff distribution or tender apology to the minister on the pages of at least two national dailies within two weeks from now.
He added that “If no action is taken from the side of the sponsors of this fake news on expiration of the ultimatum, on 14th April 2024, a legal action will be instituted against them.”
According to Mada, “It has come to our notice that some unscrupulous elements in this geopolitical zone, particularly Zamfara State, made it their daily habit of using instruments of mainstream and the new media in tarnishing the image of our party leaders.
“Similarly, it is well known fact that the PDP opposition government in Zamfara made name for itself in slandering the immediate past Governor of the state, Bello Muhammad Matawalle the Honourable Minister of State, Defence.
“As a party, we concede that slandering any of our members with ulterior motive is as good as attacking the structural foundation of our great party, which is intolerable, let alone defaming the character and questioning the integrity of our leaders who earned their reputation through selfless service to the greater good of the entire nation.
“While we welcome positive criticism from the oppositions that does violates the provisions of freedom of speech, we will not condone any form of vituperation that overstepped boundaries of provisions of the laws of the land.
“On Thursday 28th March 2024, an online blog going by the name “The Mail Online News” published a story which we believed to have been sponsored by some elements with a caption that reads: – “Exclusive: Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle Distributes Foodstuff To Bandits Terrorising Zamfara”
“Similarly, a Senior Special Assistant to Zamfara State Governor was heard on record, with details about the alleged foodstuff distribution that even the so called blog that’s The Mail Online News could not capture. The said S S A featured in IYA RUWA a segment of TASKAR VISION Program of Vision FM which hits the airwaves of vision FM Gusau at 10:00pm on Friday 29th March 2024, where he alleged that Bello Matawalle sends the foodstuff to bandits through Honourable Musa Bawa Musa a former Deputy Speaker Zamfara State Assembly.
“Without mincing words, we as a party strongly suspect this slanderous propaganda to have been sponsored by individuals very much related to PDP Government in Zamfara State, in fact, we have particular suspects as we mentioned one among the rest and we are confident that we will get hold of all the necessary evidences that we will use against them in the court of law as investigation into the matter is already ongoing.
“This grave allegation can never be overlooked, therefore, sponsors must either provide proof of the alleged Foodstuff distribution or tender apology to the Honourable Minister State Defence Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle in the pages of at least two national dailies within two weeks from now.
“If no action is taken from the side of the sponsors of this fake news on expiration of this ultimatum, on 14th April 2024, a legal action will be instituted against them.
“Since inception of the current PDP opposition government in Zamfara Bello Matawalle has suffered all forms of libellous allegations and media trials. This has to do with the role he played in making the President Asiwaju led federal government which in the process specified himself,” Mada said.
