zation (APCPCO)
said in a press statement on
Thursday in Abuja that the Nigeria
Election Debate Group (NEDG)
powered debate was fraught with
fundamental errors from the
outset, by wearing the toga of
government control, especially
being composed mainly of
agencies and allies of the
incumbent People’s Democratic
Party’s (PDP) administration.
“A salutary inspection of the
composition of NEGD brings into
focus the Broadcasting
Organization of Nigeria (BON),
National Television Authority
(NTA), Federal Radio Corporation
of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Africa
Independent Television (AIT,
owned by a PDP chieftain). And
going by the avalanche of
inflammatory statements,
misinformation and blatant lies
being propagated by some of
these media against our Party and
candidates contrary to the Koffi
Annan brokered Abuja Peace
Accord, and the failure of these
aggressors to desist and
apologize, have left the APC
Campaign with no option than to
steer clear of any premeditated
smear campaign that could be
inimical to our prospective
electoral success,” Shehu said.
The APCPCO spokesman further
explained that the boycott by the
APC should not be seen as
disrespect to Nigerian voters, or
an alibi for the party to dodge
public scrutiny; but it must be
viewed as an honorable right not
to consent to any activity that
could distract, demean, denigrate
or derail the fast-moving train of
the party.
“The APC is a party of progressive
intellectuals, genuine technocrats,
successful businessmen and
women, and most of all eminent
and courteous people of honor
who would never condescend to
the level of sadistic gutter
propaganda, all in the name of
political exigency and crass
opportunism,” Shehu said.
He noted that that many
Government-controlled media
have clipped the wings of APC
promotional advertisements on
one excuse on the other adding
that, until a court upturned their
decision recently, the Nigerian
Communications Commission
(NCC) shutdown some telecom
portals for soliciting legitimate
campaign funds from members of
the public for APC.
"Aside, elements close to sitting
President Goodluck Jonathan have
commissioned series of
derogatory and death threat
advertorials against the person,
family and associates of the
opposition leader, General
Muhammadu Buhari, to which the
APC had sent letters of complaint
to the Inspector General of
Police, the Director General of
State Security, Advertisers
Practitioners of Nigeria (APCON),
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and the erring
media that published or aired
such offensive adverts or
documentaries.
“None of our letters of protest
has been attended to by the
authorities. So whatever the
incumbent President wants to do
with the instrument of state to
harass members of the opposition
into humiliating submission would
not work. The APC/Buhari
campaign is now a people’s
movement. The more they try to
rubbish it, the more popular we
are with the populace.
“We are not shadow-chasers or
moonwalkers. The APC is
concerned mainly with the lack of
unity and security in Nigeria; plus
the growing decimation of lives,
property and territory of our
great country due to preventable
insurgency; the slumbering
economy; decaying educational
system; absence of jobs; poor
public health; and the cancerous
institutionalization of corruption in
our national life. You can’t fool
the people all the time. Nigerians
will vote out their oppressors
come February 14."
Signed:
Mallam Garba Shehu
Directorate of Media and Publicity
APC Presidential Campaign
Organization
Plot 781 Herbert Macaulay Way
Central Area http:///
15L6WYP

Nice !