Again, Tinubu Shuns Arise News Presidential Town Hall Meeting No Alternative To Peaceful, United Nigeria – Bello
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu has again rejected an invitation by Arise News to attend its presidential town hall meeting.
In a statement by the director, Media & Publicity, of the APC presidential campaign council on Friday, Tinubu faulted an advertisement by Arise News in respect of the town hall meeting scheduled for 4 December.
Describing the invite as professionally wrong and reckless, Tinubu said he was neither consulted nor his consent obtained for the advertisement announcing the town hall meeting.
He warned Arise News to stop using his name or portrait in the advertisement meeting.
Onanuga stated: “We are surprised that the TV station listed our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a participant, when there was no prior consultation with him and his aides and no consent of the candidate obtained for the advertisement.
“We deem this as professionally wrong and reckless. No media organisation should arrogate to itself the right to railroad any candidate to fit into its own agenda.
“As we said in an earlier statement, the busy and hectic campaign schedules of Asiwaju Tinubu will not permit him to honour all invitations from different radio and TV stations for debate and or Town Hall meetings hence our decision for him not to start with one media organisation and later ignore the others.
“In the absence of a unified and mutually acceptable all parties and all candidates platform, our candidate has been speaking directly to Nigerians, since President Muhammadu Buhari launched Tinubu’s Action Plan for a Better Nigeria.
“Till date, over seven town hall meetings with strategic sectors have been held across the geopolitical zones, where the candidate and his running mate have spoken about their programmes.
“These direct engagements will continue before the election on 25 February 2023. We therefore urge Arise News to stop using our candidate’s name or portrait in its advertisement, forthwith”.
A former military governor of Kano State, Col Sani Bello (rtd) has said that there is no alternative to a peaceful and united Nigeria.
Bello, who was among prominent Nigerians conferred with the prestigious National Peace Award 2022 in Abuja, said Nigeria only a united and peaceful nation make it to be great.
Bello, who was honoured in a ceremony alongside other awardees drawn from across the country at the International Conference Center in Abuja in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards promoting peace, job creation and building human capital, said he will continue to work for the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians irrespective of tribe, ethnicity and religion.
The National Peace Award is an annual recognition bestowed on shortlisted outstanding Nigerians from various spheres of life for their contributions towards promoting sustainable peace and development in Nigeria.
But represented by his son who is also the Coordinator of Atiku Haske Organisation, Niger State Chapter, Alhaji Aminu Sani Bello, said the Annual National Peace Awards programme is no doubt a bridge building platform for a united and better Nigeria.
“For the country to achieve a sustainable growth and development, the leaders and citizens must ensure that all factors that threaten coexistence are carefully guided”.
“As for me, I will continue to ensure that all Nigerians regardless of their ethnic or religious background are treated with respect and provided with opportunities to work and grow.