By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The Borno State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has threatened legal action against the spokesman of state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Amos Aziba, for allegedly spreading lies.
A statement by the Co-Chairman, Media and Publicity Borno APC Campaigns, Mr Inuwa Bwala, tiltled ‘Amos Aziba Is Crossing The Red Line,’ gave Aziba 48 hours to retract and apologise over his latest post, meant to embarrass Governor Babagana Zulum.
This is even as the Borno PDP Publicity Secretary said that Borno State belong to all citizens of the state, and that nobody can intimidate the opposition PDP in exercising its freedom of speech.
Aziba also admitted that he received an invitation from the office of the Department of State Security, DSS, on the matter, but he categorically replied them that he will not honour the invitation, rather they should come and arrest him.
Bwala said Zulum and the APC were commited to issue-based campaign and a free and fair election in Borno State.
He said, “We wish to reiterate once more, that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Borno State intends to give every political party a level playing ground to express themselves and carry out their political activities without hinderance.
“We wish to also re-emphasize that we look forward to issue-based campaigns without having to resort to the use of foul languages or causing embarassment to any of our opponents.
“The recent public apology to the people by His Excellency, the governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, over recent political clashes in the state is a demonstration of our commitment to peaceful elections.
“We, however, to take exception to a post by one Amos Aziba, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Borno State, in which he not only embarrassed us, but spread deliberate falsehood.
“Mr Aziba took to his Facebook account by deliberately trying to embarrass the governor of Borno State, Professor Zulum and his political godson, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan, who is the APC senatorial candidate for Borno Central senatorial district, by alleging that the duo exchanged blows at the Government House.
“May we state for the avoidance of doubt, that it was a deliberate mischief and nothing could be further from the truth to that effect. His Excellency returned to Maiduguri from Abuja around 10:00 pm and was recieved by a few aides, including Barrister Kaka Shehu.
“He went straight to the Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital and the Fatimah Ali Sheriff Maternity Hospital, and therefrom retired to the house, after the usual prayers by the few personal aides that received him from the airport.
“The governor drove in the same vehicle with Barrister Kaka Shehu, with whom he went to a wedding fatiah together on Saturday morning. It was rather baffling that the said Amos Aziba posted on his Facebook that the duo have been fighting.
“We hereby give Amos Aziba 48 hours within which to apologize to His Excellency the governor and by extension, Barrister Kaka Shehu, and to immediately retract the said post or we may be compelled to resort to the law.
“If the said character is enlightened enough, we expect him to have known that there is a limit to political rascality, just as there is also a limit to the use of falsehood as a political tool, under the law.
“We have tolerated similar posts from him in the past, just to avoid heating up the polity and in the hope that he will desists when ignored, but he seems to have been emboldened by the false public acclaim that greeted opposition opinions.
“With this, he has crossed the red line, and we wish to let him know that it cannot be business as usual.”
Meanwhile, the PDP Publicity Secretary said that Borno State belong to all citizens of the state, and that nobody can intimidate the opposition PDP in exercising its freedom of speech.
He recalled that during the PDP presidential campaign rally in Borno, led by its presidential candidate and former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Special Assistant on Social Media to Governor Zulum, Abdulraham Burdi, wrote on his Facebook account that Borno PDP gubernatorial candidate, Hon Ali Jajari exchanged blows with some officials and members of the PDP over monies provided by Atiku, nobody, the DSS or the opposition PDP challenged or threatened Burdi for such unsubstantiated claims.
He added, “Borno belong to all citizens of the state, and nobody can intimidate the opposition PDP in exercising its freedom of speech.
“I have received an invitation from the office of the Department of State Security, DSS, on the matter, but I categorically replied them that I will not honour their invitation, rather they should come and arrest me.
“Presently, I am working on a press release to this regard.”
Meanwhile, the Borno State Police Command and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in an emergency meeting with political party leaders last Friday made them sign an agreement to ensure peaceful campaign and election devoid of thuggery and hate speeches, among others.
