Babatunde Fashola, the former Minister of Works and Housing, has taken action against the circulation of false information by submitting a petition to the Department of State Service (DSS) for a thorough investigation into the matter. The unfounded claims involve his alleged participation in crafting judgments for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).

The allegations were first made by Jackson Ude, who alleged that Fashola, alongside some lawyers from the All Progressives Congress (APC), was drafting judgments to be presented to the tribunal judges. Ude also went on to claim that Fashola had overseen electoral misconduct during the 2023 Presidential election, supposedly favoring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Furthermore, Ude accused Fashola of having written judgments for judges in the 2019 Presidential Election Tribunal, which ultimately validated former President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory.

Responding to these allegations, Fashola’s spokesperson, Hakeem Bello, vehemently condemned the claims and referred to the culprits as “agents of destabilization.”

Taking legal recourse, Fashola formally lodged complaints against the defamatory tweets and online reports with both X (formerly Twitter) and the National Communications Commission (NCC). Subsequently, he has unmasked the individuals responsible for disseminating the false information.

Filing a petition on behalf of Fashola, his lawyer Olanrewaju Akinsola penned a letter to the Director General of DSS, urging them to take action. The letter outlined the accusations made by Ude and highlighted the potential consequences these allegations could have on Fashola’s reputation and the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.

The lawyer’s letter stated, “We are Solicitors to His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde R. FASHOLA, SAN, CON, the immediate past Honourable Minister of Works and Housing [Our Client], and we have his instructions to interface with you in respect of the above-captioned matter.”

Detailing the allegations made by Ude, the letter called for an urgent and serious investigation to be conducted by the DSS. The aim of the investigation is to uncover the truth and to safeguard not only Fashola’s reputation but also the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the Nigerian judiciary, as enshrined in the Constitution.

The former two-term governor of Lagos State is taking firm measures to counteract the dissemination of false information and protect his name from baseless accusations.

Source: The Guardian