By Michael Olatunji
Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has described as baseless and defamatory allegation that he was involved in drafting the judgment for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) urging relevant security agencies to thoroughly investigate the allegation.
Fashola expressed disappointment at the spread of this false information on social media platforms and has called on security agencies to take action against those responsible for spreading fake news.
Clarifying his position in his response to the allegation on Sunday, Fashola said he has been away from Abuja for an extended period of time, rendering the claims entirely unfounded.
He condemned the individuals behind these dangerous allegations, referring to them as agents of destabilisation.
Fashola has initiated the process of filing formal petitions against the offensive tweets and online reports with the management of the microblogging site, X (formerly known as Twitter), and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
He urged the relevant security agencies to treat this matter with utmost seriousness, as it strikes at the heart of judicial independence.
The former Minister believes that these allegations might be part of a wider campaign to undermine the judiciary by those who seek to manipulate the institution for their own gain.
He emphasises the importance of unmasking the perpetrators and their sponsors and ensuring that they face the appropriate legal consequences.
Fashola’s Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello released a press statement on behalf of the former two-term Governor of Lagos State, urging members of the public to disregard these false allegations and asked them to report any individuals involved in spreading such dangerous fabrications to the relevant security agencies.