The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North West zone has issued a challenge to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, requesting evidence to back up claims that Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, supplied palliatives to bandits. Failure to provide proof may lead to legal repercussions for the accusers, according to the APC.
During a press briefing in Kaduna, the APC North West Zonal Publicity Secretary, Musa Mada, emphasized the importance of constructive criticism in politics while cautioning against slanderous attacks that hinder freedom of expression.
Mada accused the PDP-led government in Zamfara of consistently engaging in character assassination against Matawalle, the former governor of the state. The APC insisted that the serious accusations against Matawalle cannot be disregarded, and those spreading “fake news” must either substantiate their claims or publicly apologize to the minister.
The party denounced the practice of tarnishing the reputation of its leaders through baseless allegations, stating that such actions undermine the party’s integrity and its members.
Part of the statement issued by the APC reads: “As a party, we acknowledge that defamation of any of our members with hidden motives is akin to attacking the foundational structure of our party, which is unacceptable, not to mention defaming the character and integrity of our leaders who have built their reputation through selfless service to the nation.”
The statement also emphasized the party’s stance on positive criticism from the opposition that aligns with freedom of speech provisions, while disapproving of any form of excessive criticism that crosses legal boundaries.
“This serious accusation cannot be ignored, therefore, sponsors must provide evidence of the alleged food distribution or issue an apology to the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammad Matawalle in at least two national newspapers within two weeks,” the statement concluded.