By Eric Elezuo
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Nigerian Police Force and other securities to as a matter of urgency, go after and apprehend those behind the fabrication and release of fake audio tape depicting Atiku, Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal and PDP Vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa in a discussion on how to rig the 2023 election.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate noted that his political opponents are becoming very desperate and descending to level of baseless propaganda, advising Nigerians not to lose sight on the need to elect PDP to ‘rebuild this broken system, revitalize the economy, and improve security and the hope of the people in a united Nigeria’.
The statement read in part: “When they descend to the level of baseless propaganda, we will rise above it with dignity and respond with our PVCs. This election is a watershed in Nigerian history. Nigerians must not lose sight of what is most important, which is the need to rebuild this broken system, revitalize the economy, and improve security and the hope of the people in a united Nigeria.”
“The presidential candidate called on the police and other security agencies as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain fair and neutral in the polls.
“He asked them to go after those behind the audio tape in line with Section 123(c) of the Electoral Act which provides that any person who before or during an election publishes any statement to the personal character or conduct of a candidate calculated to prejudice the chance of election of the candidate or to promote or procure the election of another candidate and such statement is false and was published without reasonable grounds for belief by the person publishing it that the statement is true, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.”
