An APC support group, APC Northwest Alliance for Good Governance and Credible Elections has decried what it called a deliberate misinformation targeted at the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, by Daily Trust with regard to the weekend re-run elections for the Babura-Garki Federal Constituency in Jigawa State.

A press release made available to newsmen in Dutse, the state capital, Sunday, August 17, signed by Comrade Muhammad Lawal Gumel, reads in part: “The level of unprofessionalism exhibited by Daily Trust, is alarming. They sensationalized their headlines with the caption: “PDP Wins Minister of Defence’s Polling Unit in Jigawa By-Election”, dated, Sunday, August 17. Daily Trust reports that the PDP defeats the Minister in his Polling Unit, but in reality, results from INEC’s Server, and IReV, showed otherwise. It showed the Polling Unit 002, is the original PU of the Honourable Minister, not 001, as reported by Trust. Again, his party, the APC polled, 188, to defeat its closest rival, the PDP, whom got 164”. These results, however, have been authenticated by various independent elections observers and other stakeholders.

“This is in sharp contrast to what Daily Trust reported, and we have reason to believe it was a craftily deliberate attempt, not an error of editorial and reportage judgement.”

“We are calling, on the management of Daily Trust to quickly retract the story, acknowledge its errors and issue an unreserved apology to the Honourable Minister of Defence, National Secretariat of the APC, the Chairman of APC in Jigawa State. Failure to do that, we shall institute legal action actions against the paper.

“We have a duty, as responsible citizens to support government, on matters of national importance, regardless of our political leanings. We cannot allow, the media, who should be nonpartisan derail the growth trajectory of our nation. Because, journalism is a considered as the Fourth estate of the realm, where objectivity, clarity, non-partisanship and truthfulness remain its hallmark,” the group said.