The management of Arise Television has apologised to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a false report that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had commenced a forfeiture investigation against him.
In the report by the media house, it stated that INEC had commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against Tinubu.
However, following a statement by Tinubu alleging that Arise Television and Channels Television were working for his opposition and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Arise Television tendered an unreserved apology.
in its retraction on Sunday morning, November 13, the management of Arise TV apologised over the fake report after INEC publicly dismissed it as fake.
The station said: “Of criminal forfeiture of funds, linked to narcotics, smuggling conspiracy and money laundering against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we Arise News that carried the news, which is now been denied by after the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and we apologise most sincerely to the APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the earlier broadcast.”
INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in Abuja on Saturday, described the report as the handiwork of mischief makers
The station said: “Of criminal forfeiture of funds, linked to narcotics, smuggling conspiracy and money laundering against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we Arise News that carried the news, which is now been denied by after the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and we apologise most sincerely to the APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the earlier broadcast.”
“A press release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday Nov. 11, 2022.
“It claims that the commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against one of the Presidential candidates in the forthcoming general election and is liaising with a Court in the United States of America in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.
However, the commission discredited it, saying “We wish to state categorically that the said press release did not emanate from the commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.”
Okoye said statements from the INEC are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through the commission’s website and official social media handles.
Post Views: 629
