The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress APC has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) of masterminding the fake news against his presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
A document with the letterhead of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had surfaced on social media platforms on Friday, which claimed that the electoral agency is investigating a drug case in the United States involving Tinubu.
Though INEC has since denied the report in a statement issued by its spokesman, Festus Okoye, describing it as fake and mischievous.
In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga accused the opposition parties of sponsoring fake news against Tinubu.
The statement reads: “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.
“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.”
