Tinubu Petitions NBC, Demands For Channels TV To Be Sanctioned Over Datti

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Tinubu in the petition signed by his Director, Media and Publicity, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on behalf of the Special Adviser, Media, Public Affairs and Communications, APC Presidential Campaign Council, argued that the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed, made inflammable statements which questions the integrity of the February 25, 2023, presidential elections while featuring on Channels TV Programme 'Politics Today'.

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The petition read;

"In line with Section 14.0.1 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code 6th edition stating the duty of the National Broadcasting Commission to accept complaints from aggrieved persons, bodies or members of the public and investigate as well as apply sanctions where necessary, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council hereby petitions the Commission on what it considers breaches by CHANNELS TV last week on its programme 'Politics Today' which airs daily at 7pm on weekdays." Tinubu said in the petition dated March 30, 2023.

"He (Datto) said the Labour Party won the elections. This is a fallacy and not correct. According to the Code, a Broadcaster is liable when his guest is allowed to make a wild statement that is inaccurate and not based on fact.

"The only factual figures empirically collated as the final result is the one released by the Independent National Electoral Commission which placed Labour party as third.

"The guest on the programme in question Datti Baba -Ahmed said the President of the country Muhammadu Buhari should not swear in the President -elect because he did not score 25% vote in the FCT, being one of the prerequisites for being declared winner. This is a subversive statement since the matter is before the tribunal and is among the issues submitted in their petition to the courts for adjudication. Therefore until and unless the court rules otherwise, the status quo is the INEC position as declared in the final results

"The guest Datti Baba Ahmed's comments about Labour Party winning the presidential vote undermines constituted authority given to INEC in the 1999 Constitution as the body vested with the powers to conduct and announce the results of national general elections in Nigeria."

Any figures aside, this will have to be certified by a tribunal as the authentic one.

"Therefore, Mr Datti's statements that the INEC certificate of return issued to Tinubu is a "dud cheque" and is null and void is not only divisive and subversive but also inciting and inflammatory.

"The Code states in Section 3.8.1(b) that 'A Broadcaster shall ensure that no programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or compromises the unity or corporate existence of the nation as a Sovereign state'.

"The comment by Mr Datti later on the same programme that if 'President Buhari should hand over to the President-elect by 29th May, that would be the end of democracy' is another case of unguarded statement and breach of Section 5.3.3(b), which states that - 'A Broadcaster shall avoid divisive and inflammatory matters in its provocative form in using political material'.

"Furthermore, Section 3.0.2.1 said that no Broadcaster shall encourage or incite crime, lead to public hate, disorder or repugnant to public feelings' materials that cause disaffection.

"We, therefore, urge NBC to invoke the necessary sanctions on Channels Television for the breaches enumerated above."