14112022

Vanguard, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
2023: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi bicker
over fake news, hate speech
•Sponsoring fake news against me won't help Atiku, Obi –TINUBU
•Tinubu trying to avoid scrutiny over $460,000 –ATIKU •Look within for fake INEC’s
statement on Tinubu, LP tells APC •Shettima’s insults on Obi, breach peace accord – LP
CAMPAIGN •Catholic Bishops seek issues-based campaigns •Hate speech, greatest
danger to unity, stability of Nigeria – ACF •Says Gov Ortom's apology over anti-Fulani’s
comments, a relief •My statistics unsettling opposition – OBI
By Clifford Ndujihe, Olasunkanmi Akoni,
Omeiza Ajayi, John Alechenu, Ibrahim
Hassan-Wuyo & Luminous Jannamike
THE campaign teams
of the presidential
candidates of the three
leading political parties -
All Progressives Congress,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu;
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakr; and Labour Party,
Mr. Peter Obi, were,
yesterday, locked in bickerings
over fake news and
hate speech.
Tinubu’s campaign fired
the first salvo; as its Director,
Media and Publicity,
Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a
statement, accused Atiku
and Obi of sponsoring fake
news against Tinubu in the
hope of getting the former
Lagos State governor disqualified,
which he said
would not help the presidential
quest of the duo.
Responding in kind, the
Atiku/Okowa Presidential
Campaign Organisation
asked Tinubu to come
clean about his complicity
in the alleged illicit drugrelated
forfeiture of
$460,000 to authorities in
the United States, instead
of trying to divert attention.
In like manner, the Obi-
Datti campaign of the LP
asked its APC counterpart
to look within its ranks for
those responsible for the
alleged forgery of the letter-headed
paper of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, to issue a fake statement,
saying it was depressing
that a party whose
candidate had a record of
falsification of documents
could have the effrontery to
accuse innocent people of
doing the same.
Tinubu, Atiku and Obi
bickered as the Catholic
Bishops Conference of Nigeria,
CBCN, urged political
parties and their candidates
to focus on issues
in their campaigns, ahead
of the 2023 general elections.
Also, the Arewa Consultative
Forum, ACF, warned
politicians against hate
speech, saying it posed
grave danger to the unit
y a n d
stability of a democratic society, protection
of human rights
and the rule of law.
Sponsoring fake
news against me
won't help you,
Tinubu tells
Atiku, Obi
Cautioning Atiku and Obi
against sponsoring fake
news to malign Tinubu’s
reputation, which it said
would not help their ambitions,
Tinubu campaign
said: "The opposition Peoples
Democratic Party and
its subsidiary: Labour Party,
having realised they
have no sure path to victory
in the February 2023
presidential election
upped their campaign of
calumny, disinformation
and misinformation on Saturday
by sponsoring fake
news against the All Progressives
Congress Presidential
Candidate, Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
"They did it by forging the
letterhead of the Independent
National Electoral
Commission and the signature
of its national commissioner,
Festus Okoye", said
Onanuga.
According to the APC
campaign team, 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.
The ruling party also
called on the police to investigate
those behind the
fake statement and get
them to face the wrath of
the law.
"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.
From left, Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande, former Minister of Industries; Eng Abiola
Olowu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, Lagos
State; Mrs Folashade Sherifat Jaji, Secretary to Lagos State Government,
representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Asiwaju Michael
Olawale-Cole, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry LCCI and his
wife Adebola at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Lagos International Trade fair at
TBS, Lagos yesterday. Photo Lamidi Bamidele
"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 primaries 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 statement
added.
The APC campaign council
noted that its candidate
has consistently said he will
make the campaigns about
issues that affect the lives
of Nigerians and how to
proffer workable and enduring
solutions that will
improve quality of life of the
people.
"He has demonstrated
this resolve by publishing
an 80-page manifesto
tagged Action Plan for a
Better Nigeria, which he
has been selling to strategic
sectoral groups in the
country.
"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."
Tinubu trying to
avoid scrutiny
over $460,000-
ATIKU/OKOWA
CAMPAIGN
Countering, spokesperson
of the Atiku/Okowa
Presidential Campaign
Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan,
asked the APC
presidential candidate to
come clean about his complicity
in the alleged illicit
Continues on Page 27
Whose faces should be on new naira notes?
By Rosemary Anani
The face of former
P r e s i d e n t
Olusegun Obasanjo
should be on one of the
new naira notes because
of the achievements of
his administration.
People should be
honoured when they are
alive not when they are
dead.
— Akinrinsola
Deborah, Student
The face of the
former Governor of
Lagos state, Babatunde
Fashola, SAN, should be
on one of the new notes.
Former President
Goodluck Jonathan
should also be honoured
with his face on any of the
new naira notes.
—Rufus
Student
Ayomide,
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
deserves to have his
face on the new naira
note. He is a great man
and has done a lot for
Nigeria and Africa.
Other living heroes of
Nigeria’s democracy
should have their faces
on the new notes.
—Olabamiji Monsurat,
Fashion designer.
Nobel laureate
Professor Wole
Soyinka would be
my first choice
because of the
honour he brought
to Nigeria. His
literary works have
placed Nigeria on
the world map.
— Anani Hannah,
Youth Corper
I
want the face of
Aliko Dangote to be
on any of the new notes.
Apart from being one of
the richest men in Africa,
his achievements remain
a big encouragement to
youths. He has also
given Nigeria a positive
image in the business
circle
—Ojomo Tosin,
Student.
I
will recommend
that only the faces
of people who have
accomplished
exemplary feats should
be on the new naira
note. Celebrities
should also be
honoured in the new
naira notes.
— O k e s a n j o
Damilola, Student