APC Opts Out Of BON Organised Public Debates Over Allegation Of Bias

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said Thursday that it has boycotted the on-going electioneering public debates organised by the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria (BON) on national television and radio, saying the organisers are bias.

‎The opposition party said its boycott was occasioned by bias and campaign of calumny by some key organisers of the programme, against the corporate political interest of the party and its candidates.

A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, Media and Publicity Director of the APC Presidential Campaign on Thursday said the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) powered debate was fraught with fundamental errors from the outset, by wearing the toga of government control, especially being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the incumbent People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) administration.

"A salutary inspection of the composition of NEDG brings into focus the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), National Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Africa Independent Television (AIT), owned by a PDP chieftain. And going by the avalanche of inflammatory statements, misinformation and blatant lies being propagated by some of these media against our party and candidates contrary to the Kofi Annan brokered Abuja Peace Accord, and the failure of these aggressors to desist and apologise, have left the APC campaign with no option than to steer clear of any premeditated smear campaign that could be inimical to our prospective electoral success", Shehu said.

The Buhari campaign spokesperson said the boycott by the APC should not be seen as disrespect to Nigerian voters, or an alibi for the party to dodge public scrutiny; but it must be viewed as an honourable right not to consent to any activity that could distract, demean, denigrate or derail the fast-moving train of the party.

"The APC is a party of progressive intellectuals, genuine technocrats, successful businessmen and women, and most of all eminent and courteous people of honour who would never condescend to the level of sadistic gutter propaganda, all in the name of political exigency and crass opportunism", he said.

He said many government-controlled media have clipped the wings of APC promotional advertisements on one excuse or the other adding that, "until a court upturned their decision recently, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shutdown some telecom portals for soliciting legitimate campaign funds from members of the public for APC."

He added: "Aside, elements close to sitting President Goodluck Jonathan have commissioned series of derogatory and death threat advertorials against the person, family and associates of the opposition leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, to which the APC had sent letters of complaint to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of State Security, Advertisers Practitioners of Nigeria (APCON), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the erring media that published or aired such offensive adverts or documentaries."