The Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate for Plateau Central Zone, Hon. Melchior Gowon, has given the party three days to publicly renounce and correct what he called ‘mischievous publication/fake news’.
The candidate was particularly referring to the picture of Chief Garba Pwul (SAN), which appeared on the programme of event during the LP presidential campaign rally in Jos last Friday, as the purported senatorial candidate for the party.
Gowon, while briefing journalists in Jos, the state capital, said he needed to protest and expressed his disenchantment over the development; describing it as “fraudulent”.
He said, “I am here to express my protest to the publication in the magazine of the Labour Party presidential campaign rally, Jos 2023, circulated at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos on the 20th January 2023, titled ‘A new Nigeria is possible’.
“This is a conspiracy against me and against the interest of the people of Plateau Central Zone. It is my picture and name that is supposed to be in the magazine, not that of Chief Garba Pwul (SAN).
“This is simple; you journalists and let every Nigerian listening to this press briefing Google the INEC portal and see the INEC final list of candidates nominated by the 18 political parties for all elections published and posted on 4th October 2022 for the forthcoming 2023 general elections and you would notice that the senatorial candidate for the Labour Party for the Plateau Central Zone is Melchior Mukilama Gowon, that is me and not one Chief Garba Pwul SAN.”
Gowon further stated that he has already discussed this with his legal team, stressing that he would take every legal step to “stop and correct the falsehood”.
“What they are doing is an attempt to mislead my teaming supporters”, he maintained.
“Consequently, I call on Labour Party Plateau State Chapter, the Mobilization Committee of the Labour Party presidential campaign rally 2023, and the National Headquarters of the party to take immediate step within three days from the day of this press briefing to come out and renounce and correct this mischievous publication/fake news, particularly the picture and name of Chief Garba Pwul SAN on page 11 of the programme of the event which runs contrary to the INEC final list published on the 4th of October 2022 containing my name.
“Failure to do so will leave me with no alternative but to ask my lawyers to institute an action in the appropriate court in Nigeria.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the State Chairman of LP, Hon. Grace Zamfara, were unsuccessful.
