Olayinka Owolabi
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has denied allegations circulating on social media that he ordered the denial of a political party’s request to use a private facility for its town hall meeting, describing the claim as “preposterous and utter falsehood.”
Mbahh, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening on his X handle, said he had no involvement in any decision to prevent the political party from using the facility.
The governor’s reaction followed the circulation of a video on some social media platforms alleging that he issued an order denying the party access to the privately owned facility for its planned political engagement.
Describing the allegation as false, Mbah said, “My attention has just been drawn to a video circulating on some social media platforms, alleging that I gave an order denying a political party use of a private facility for their townhall event. This is preposterous and utter falsehood, because I did not.”
He further criticised those he accused of promoting the allegation, describing their actions as shameful and part of what he characterised as a desperate attempt by the opposition to gain attention.
“This is shameful and reveals a desperate pattern adopted by the opposition to attract attention,” the governor stated.
Mbah also warned against the misuse of democratic freedoms to spread allegations capable of damaging an individual’s reputation, insisting that freedom of expression must be exercised within the limits of the law.
“There’s no doubt that democracy guarantees freedom of expression. It should be noted, however, that it does not grant anyone the right to defamation,” he said.
The governor maintained that democratic principles provide avenues for individuals to seek redress when they believe their rights have been violated, rather than resorting to actions that could infringe on the rights and reputations of others.
He added that there were limits to what should be tolerated in the name of political engagement.
“Democracy also offers avenues to seek redress. So, let it be known that there are red lines that should never be crossed,” Mbah said.
