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Falana admits spreading fake news, tenders public apology to Moghalu
A Lagos based activist and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has apologised to the 2019 presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Kingsley Moghalu, for spreading ‘fake news’ against him.
Falana was said to have on Monday, at the Felabration symposium, an event held at the NECA House, Lagos State, alleged that Moghalu resigned as a member of YPP to defect to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Is Dr. Moghalu still around? I think it is unfair to single out Dr. Moghalu for recognition. We should not celebrate opportunism. Here is a politician who contested on the platform of a party, who has moved conveniently to the APC. They’ve just given him an appointment and he has just discarded his own political party. I don’t think that is fair for all,” Falana was quoted to have said at the event.
Ripples Nigeria had reported that Moghalu, in a statement on Tuesday, described the claim as fake news and asked Falana to tender him an apology as well as publicly retract the “falsehood”.
Responding, Falana in a statement later same Tuesday and entitled “My Mea Culpa’, apologised to the former YPP chieftain and said that his claim about him was a case of mistaken identity.
The senior lawyer said, “At the symposium held in memory of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Lagos yesterday, I did say that Professor Kingsley Moghalu had called it quit with the YPP, the political party which sponsored his presidential election in February 2019.
”I equally said that he had joined the ruling party and accepted an appointment from the federal government.
READ ALSO: DEFECTION TO APC: Moghalu accuses Falana of spreading fake news, demands apology
“While confirming his resignation from the YPP, Professor Moghalu had stated that he has neither joined the ruling party nor accepted an appointment from the federal government. I believe him in toto.
“I did not set out to embarrass Professor Moghalu as it was a case of mistaken identity. Any embarrassment caused by the incorrect aspect of the statement is deeply regretted”, he said.
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