Zamfara: Gov Matawalle Declares Position On Suing APC Spokesperson

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has halted plans to drag the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, to court over comments the governor considered as libellous.

Recall that the APC spokesperson had accused an unnamed governor in North-West of sponsoring banditry in the region.

Nabena’s statement last Thursday followed the abduction and release of over 300 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, by bandits.

Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday DailyTrust reports that Matawalle stated that he decided to stop the plan to sue Nabena due to the intervention of the APC National Caretaker Committee and the Governors Forum.

He said: “Following interventions by the APC National Caretaker Committee, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Progressives Governors’ Forum, I have decided to hold on to my decision of taking legal action against the Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC, Yekini Nabena, for some libellous comments that tantamount to accusations against my personality and governments.

“I have decided to hold on to my earlier decision of the legal action against the APC scribe pending the decision and action to be taken by the party in discipline Yekini for the unsubstantiated allegations he leveled against me and my government.

“You may recall that recently, precisely on Thursday, the 17th of December, 2020, the Ag. National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC, Mr Yekini Nabena made very serious and unsubstantiated allegations against my person and government, accusing me of harbouring, sponsoring and aiding banditry in northwestern Nigeria.

“These allegations are so weighty that can not be swept under the carpet, especially considering the fact that it concerns human lives and humanity and my dignity.”

The Zamfara governor noted that since he assumed office as governor of the state his priority was on how to secure it from its immediate past position of being “the most dangerous state to visit or leave. ”

Matawalle stated that this was due to the waves of attacks, killings, maiming, kidnappings, cattle rustling and vandalisation of public property and assets that bedeviled the state.