The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council denied issuing a statement apologizing to former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke for the use of his photograph in a documentary about the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday morning.Information Guide Nigeria
The viral apologies, which went viral on Monday evening, drew criticism, with some accusing the APC candidate of admitting to fraud.
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Live, Study and Work in Canada. No Payment is Required! Hurry Now click here to Apply >> Immigrate to CanadaThe statement, attributed to PCC Director of Media and Publicity Bayo Onanuga, exonerated the campaign council while conceding that the mix-up of Duke’s photograph with Young Tinubu was a “honest mistake.”
It read, “We have taken note of the video in circulation where former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, said his picture as a 12-year old boy and student of the Federal Government Secondary School in Sokoto was used in a documentary to celebrate Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Our investigation further revealed that the picture in question has also surfaced in some of our campaign materials, on websites and Twitter accounts of Asíwájú supporters, along with a similar photo of besuited Asíwájú donning an Afrohair popular in the 70s and 80s.JAMB Result
“No one, and not even Asiwaju’s personal photographers and the artists who designed the materials, have been able to explain how the photo was mixed up with the other photo, that represents Asíwájú’s teenage years. They all said they got both photographs in Google search.
“We have called Governor Donald Duke to apologise for the unintentional mix-up and the error. The usage was a honest mistake for which all involved have accepted responsibility.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that Asíwájú Tinubu did not authorise the appropriation of another person’s image as his own.
“We also want to absolve the presidential campaign council of any blame.
“To the traducers, who have been attacking Asíwájú Tinubu for what he knew nothing about, we want to appeal to them to be reasonable over this matter.
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Live, Study and Work in Canada. No Payment is Required! Hurry Now click here to Apply >> Immigrate to Canada“We are in a campaign season where many supporters go out of their ways to produce jingles, documentaries, posters, billboard materials and other promotional materials without the approval of candidates across political parties. The campaign council has in the meantime established a process for clearance and approval by individuals and support groups who seek to produce campaign materials for media use.”
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However, hours after it went viral, the APC presidential candidate’s campaign dismissed the apology as “fake.”
The campaign council said in a statement signed by Onanuga that the viral report contained no truth.
Onanuga stated that no member of Tinubu’s campaign media directorate authorized the apology on behalf of the former Lagos State governor.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a press statement currently in circulation credited to the Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.JAMB portal
“In the said statement, Mr. Onanuga was reported to have apologised to Mr. Donald Duke for an error in the use of his picture in a documentary on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We want to categorically state that the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council did not authorise the said statement and Mr. Onanuga didn’t issue any statement on behalf of the campaign council and our principal, Asiwaju Tinubu today.NYSC portal
“We urge the media and members of the public to disregard the statement as a fake news designed to create confusion and mislead the public.”
