The Labour Party (LP) in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria has dissociated self from a letter accusing the party’s Gubernatorial Candidate in 2023 general elections, Jonathan Asake of embezzling N640m as monies donated or contributed towards the elections.
The letter which has gone viral on social media was said to have been written by an Abuja based Law firm on behalf of One of its Senatorial Candidates in the election, Engr. Mike Auta and the Party.
Addressing a news conference Friday in Kaduna, the State Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Awal Aliyu Tafoki said the party and its Exco totally dissociate themselves from the libelous letter masterminded by Engr Auta.
He said there was no iota of information that such amount came to the Party through anyone pointing out that only Fifteen Million Naira was received for the elections.
Alhaji Awal Tafoki explained that the Law firm and Engr. Auta had never contacted the Party on any matter relating to the issue at stake even when the LP was not aware of such embezzlement.
“While we are facing distractions at the national level by saboteurs, our dismay knows no bounds when we saw the letter on the social media space from the aforementioned law firm. Having read the highly libelous content of the letter, and especially that the Labour Party was made a partner, after due consultations we deem it expedient and necessary to clear the air on this issue”, Tafoki said.
Alhaji Awal Tafoki said they were shocked and embarrassed that such serious matter was first deliberately posted on the social media with mischievous intention of dragging them into the fray and bring the party into disrepute, just to give integrity to the content.
The Party, he said, is demanding among others, open apology from the Law firm and Engr. Mike Auta in the Social, Print and Electronic media as well as a retraction, distancing the Party from the letter within 7days..
Failure to do so, Alhaji Awal Tafoki said the Party would take legal action to claim damages.
He said a committee would also be set up to investigate the real motive behind the said letter and other players who might be connected to the issue.
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