Defamation: ZLP Demands PDP’s Apology

The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Bauchi State has demanded a public apology from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over what it described as unguarded, misleading and deceptive utterances of the PDP during its recent presidential campaign rally on February 7, 2023 in Bauchi.

The ZLP through its legal adviser, Eko Ejembi Eko, SAN in a letter dated February 10, 2023, to the PDP presidential campaign council demanded thus “Immediate Withdrawal and Issuance of Public Apology to Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and its Bauchi state Gubernatorial Candidate, Amb Khalid Arewa for the unguarded, misleading and deceptive Utterances during the PDP Presidential Rally in Bauchi state on the 7th February, 2023”.

The subject matter in the letter refers as; “We write as counsel to Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and by extension, its Bauchi state Gubernatorial Candidate, Amb. Khalid Arewa, upon whose express instructions we write this letter”.

The letter signed by the legal Adviser of the ZLP said, “It is our brief that Amb. Khalid Arewa is the substantive candidate vying for the governorship position of Bauchi State for the 2023 General Election under the platform of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)”.

“It is our further brief that the People Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council organized its rally in Bauchi State on the 7th day of February, 2023; wherein they purportedly announced to the hearing of the public that Amb. Khalid Arewa, the Governorship Candidate under the platform of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and some of his followers have defected to the said People Democratic Party’s (PDP)”.

It described as unguarded, misleading and deceptive utterances by the People Democratic Party’s (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council which has gone viral on all the media organizations including the social media, and which has caused a lot of harm and damage to the person of its gubernatorial flagbearer and by extension, the entire Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), in the eyes and esteem of the general public and specifically the members of our great political party the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

“Recall that, just as any other formal institution, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is a well-organized political party with well-established rules and regulations guiding its operations including but not limited to the laws on defection of any individual. There has never been any notice served by the said Amb. Khalid Arewa or any other person for resignation from the party to the best of our knowledge”.

The ZLP in Bauchi said the false utterances by the PDP Presidential Campaign Council on February 7, 2023, asserting the fake defection of Amb, Khalid Arewa and some of his supporters is not only a cheap strategy to deceive the gullible public but has also denigrated  Arewa.

ZLP added that the false, fake and malicious statement portrayed him as a betrayal of the collective views, sentiments and ambitions of his supporters and party members nationwide.

The party therefore demanded the PDP Campaign Council to respond to the above followings within seven clear days of the receipt of this letter thus: “A clear, unambiguous and unilateral withdrawal of all false statements falsely uttered against Amb. Khalid Arewa and our great party the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) forthwith.

“A public apology to “our client” by using the same media organization used in spreading the fake news about AMB. Khalid Arewa and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and immediately cease and desist from such further malicious and false statements against AMB. KHALID AREWA and the Zenith Labour Party (ZIP)”.

Eko Ejembi Eko, SAN has copied the letter to the National Legal Adviser of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the PDP National Secretariat at Wuse in Abuja.