Bauchi 2027: M.A. Abubakar’s Legal Team Defends Alleged Defamation Statement

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The legal team of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 governorship flagbearer in Bauchi State, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (SAN), has defended the statement made by the former governor, insisting that it was protected by the Constitution and did not amount to defamation.

Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Bauchi on Monday, the Secretary of the legal team, Barrister Mohammed Alkassim, said he was speaking on the mandate of his principal and the Head of the Legal Team, H.D. Mohammed, following public reactions to a petition reportedly filed against Abubakar.

Alkassim recalled that on July 24, 2026, legal practitioner Barrister Jibril S. Jibril publicly announced that a petition had been submitted against the APC governorship candidate over comments allegedly made by him.

According to Alkassim, the briefing was not intended as a response to the petition but to enlighten members of the public on the legal principles governing the matter.

He argued that the Constitution guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression, subject to the limitation that such expression must not infringe on the rights of others.

“Our position is that the statement made by Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, is in line with the provisions of the Constitution,” he said.

The lawyer also maintained that the Nigeria Police Force is constitutionally empowered to receive and investigate complaints from any individual and expressed confidence that the police would examine the petition objectively and in accordance with the law.

Commenting on the petition, Alkassim dismissed suggestions that the number of pages submitted had any legal significance.

“It is not the volume of a petition that matters but the substance of the allegations contained in it. The police will determine whether the complaint discloses any offence known to law,” he stated.

He urged members of the public and supporters of the APC governorship candidate to remain calm and allow the police to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without interference.

Alkassim also referred to the powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stating that Nigerian law permits citizens to report suspected financial crimes and empowers the Commission to investigate allegations relating to unexplained wealth and other financial offences where necessary.

On the allegation of defamation, the legal team argued that merely mentioning the name “Shehu” could not automatically amount to defamation because it was a common name borne by many people.

According to him, for a claim of defamation to succeed, the statement must clearly identify or reasonably refer to a specific individual.

He questioned why other persons bearing the name had not claimed they were the subject of the alleged statement, arguing that the name alone was insufficient to establish a defamatory reference.

Alkassim reiterated the legal team’s confidence in the ongoing process and said Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, was prepared to honour any invitation from the police.

“We believe the law will take its course. We are only waiting for the invitation of the police, and we are ready to escort our principal whenever he is invited,” he said.