The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) yesterday warned opposition parties and their agents to desist from spreading fake news capable of tarnishing the image of its standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The campaign council described the former Lagos State governor as a solid and indestructible candidate, stressing that any campaign of calumny against him cannot help the cause of the opposition.
Also yesterday, Arise Television apologised to Tinubu for airing a false report that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against him.
However, despite the refutal by INEC and apology by Arise TV, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted on the fake news and called on Tinubu to withdraw from the race.
It Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the APC candidate was ineligible, owing to the purported indictment.
But, APC-PCC said the PDP’s call on Tinubu to withdraw from the race was laughable.
The PCC described the sponsoring of fake news against Tinubu by the PDP and the Labour Party (LP) as the antics of a sinking opposition.
The council maintained that the indulgence in fake news was an admittance of imminent electoral defeat by the opposition at the polls.
The Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement in Abuja noted that the campaign of calumny, disinformation and misinformation smacked of desperation.
The APC Campaign Council called on the Police to investigate the brains behind the forged letterhead of the INEC and the signature of its National Commissioner, Festus Okoye.
It said: “The forged statement purportedly issued by INEC was disseminated to deceive the gullible public that INEC was investigating allegations against Asiwaju Tinubu that, they desperately hoped, will ultimately lead to the disqualification of the frontline APC presidential candidate.
“We are not in any way surprised by the antics of the sinking opposition parties. What we found shocking was how quickly some compromised media organisations gulped the falsehood, hook, line and sinker, without attempting to verify.
“We understand why they did so: the forgery and its narrative fit their mindset of throwing overboard every known virtue of ethical journalism and professionalism, as they work in cahoot with the opposition to defame Asiwaju Tinubu.
“This inglorious path has been taken before since 2003 and in the run-up to the primary of the ruling APC that produced Asiwaju Tinubu as the presidential torch bearer. Those who took this damned path of infamy lost their bet because Asiwaju Tinubu stands rock solid and indestructible.”
The campaign council reiterated Tinubu’s resolve to make his campaign issue-oriented and proffer workable and enduring solutions that will improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
It noted that that resolve was demonstrated in the 80-page manifesto tagged: Action Plan for a Better Nigeria, which Tinubu has been selling to strategic sectoral groups in the country.
It added: “We had hoped anyone aspiring to lead our country at this time will be a natural subscriber to this noble and higher goal.
“It is clear the opposition parties and purveyors of fake news have other negative ideas: they want to make this election cycle more about muckraking and mudslinging.
“While we want to stay above the fray and stand by our commitment to inspire our people and restore their faith and confidence in the immense goodness and greatness of our country, we want to serve notice to all the agents of disinformation and their collaborating media platforms, that our campaign organisation stands ready to confront and fight all libellous and defamatory publications against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We shall no longer allow the prevailing recklessness and utter disregard for professional judgment to continue unchallenged.
“We also call on the police to investigate the circulation of the forged INEC statement and serve justice to those responsible.”
APC-PCC said nothing can stop the APC flag bearer from contesting the election, adding that Tinubu is the man to beat.
Onanuga described the PDP and its candidate as daydreamers.
He said: “The fragmented and emasculated PDP turned itself into an accuser, prosecutor and judge today, asking Asiwaju Tinubu to quit the presidential race.
“What a comedy!
“The PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba quoted an ill-digested Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution and decreed that Asiwaju should step down. He claimed that by the provision, Tinubu is not eligible to contest the presidential election in Nigeria.
“His call followed the release of the 30-year-old US document its agents and media lapdogs have been spreading. Now, at least, we know that the party and their candidate, are behind the shameful campaign of calumny.
“Mr Ologunagba, stop dreaming! Your party can go to court if it likes. But what we know is that Asiwaju is unstoppable, by the grace of God. He will contest the election, win it, retire Atiku to Dubai and finally stop him from perennially chasing the elusive presidential trophy.”
APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yakubu Murtala Ajaka, berated the opposition for their campaign of calumny against Tinubu.
Ajaka described it as an unfortunate attempt to malign the APC candidate.
He said: “It is unfortunate that someone aspiring or a group of people supporting the aspiration of someone can stoop so low with such a diatribe and cheap blackmail to malign the image of a respected personality like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The APC chieftain called on the electoral commission and security agencies to investigate the source of information.
Ajaka said: “In view of the foregoing therefore, INEC, the Police and other security agencies have a duty to uncover and identify the overt and/or covert authors of this heinous document and be charged for forgery, deceit and deliberate misleading and misinforming the public for cheap political gain.
This action will definitely pave the way for a clean, transparent and acceptable electioneering process ahead of the 2023 general election.”
He also urged the INEC sanction political parties or candidates who sponsor falsehood, hate and inciting speeches capable of breaching peace.
Arise TV apologises to Tinubu
Arise Television has apologised to Tinubu over the fake report that the INEC has commenced a forfeiture investigation against him.
In a retraction, the Management of Arise TV apologised over the fake report after INEC publicly dismissed it as fake.
The station said: “Of criminal forfeiture of funds, linked to narcotics, smuggling conspiracy and money laundering against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we, Arise News that carried the news, which is now been denied by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and we apologise most sincerely to the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the earlier broadcast.”
INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in Abuja at the weekend, described the report as the handiwork of mischief makers.
He said: “A press release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday Nov. 11, 2022.
“It claims that the commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against one of the presidential candidates in the forthcoming general election and is liaising with a Court in the United States of America in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.
“We wish to state categorically that the said press release did not emanate from the commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.”
Okoye said statements from the INEC are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through the commission’s website and official social media handles.
