The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) are spreading false claims against Bola Tinubu, its presidential candidate.
Recall that on Friday, a document with the letterhead of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which claimed that the commission is investigating a 1993 case in the United States involving Tinubu, surfaced on social media platforms.
Prior to the claim, documents had been shared on social media, which showed that Tinubu had forfeited $460,000 to the US government.
However, INEC has since denied that it is probing the US case involving Tinubu.
In a statement on Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, the APC campaign’s media director, described the opposition parties as “purveyors of fake news”.
“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,” Onanuga said.
“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 cahoots 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.
“Our candidate has consistently said he will make this campaign about issues that affect the lives of Nigerians and how to proffer workable and enduring solutions that will improve quality of life of our people who are looking for leaders at all levels to improve their lives and sow the seeds of prosperity in our country.
“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.”