The Kebbi State Government has denied allegations linking it to the ongoing court case involving two factional chairmen of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the state.
The rebuttal was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, in Birnin Kebbi.
The government said it has no affiliation with the ADC and is not involved in the internal crisis rocking the party.
“Our attention has been drawn to publications alleging that the Kebbi State Government is behind the court case between two factional ADC chairmen.
We categorically state that the government is neither a member of the ADC nor affiliated with the party,” the statement said.
It noted that the dispute is an internal matter within the ADC, which has been grappling with a prolonged leadership tussle leading to court actions by rival factions.
The government also criticised some media reports on the issue, accusing them of lacking balance and professionalism.
According to the statement, some of the reports were one-sided and not reflective of fairness and ethical journalism, adding that the authors were allegedly not present during court proceedings.
It urged journalists to adhere strictly to professional standards in their reportage and avoid publishing unverified claims.
The government further dismissed allegations by one of the factional chairmen accusing it of influencing the court process, describing the claim as baseless.
“This is not an APC affair but an internal dispute within the ADC, which should be resolved through internal mechanisms rather than unfounded accusations,” the statement added.
The crisis in the ADC in Kebbi involves rival factional chairmen, Abdulrasak Abubakar and Sufiyanu Bala, who are currently in court over alleged contempt.
The state government maintained that it has never victimised members of any political party and described the allegation against it as false.