Reports reaching the desk of Africa Today News, New York has it that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has slammed a fine of ₦2 million on Arise Television over a fake report about the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
The popular TV station had over the weekend aired a report that the Independent National Broadcasting Commission (INEC) was investigating Tinubu’s alleged crime bordering on narcotics and illicit drugs which it later took down as fake news.
On Saturday, a statement purportedly issued by the electoral umpire had gone viral on social media but the electoral body, on Saturday debunked the report, saying it was a handiwork of mischiefs.
Arise TV had on Sunday apologised to Tinubu and INEC for misleading the general public.
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Africa Today News, New York can now confirm that the television station was fined N2m for breaching the broadcasting code.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has come out to berate the camps of his counterparts from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi for poking holes at his absence at the Arise TV town hall meeting in Abuja.
Tinubu had also reiterated that Atiku’s camp could not force him to appear or send representatives to national debates and he had berated Atiku’s camp for following his absence at national debates.
Recall that a spokesman of the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign team said Tinubu was afraid of being exposed; hence his refusal to attend national debates.
However, the APC presidential candidate said he would not be ‘railroaded’ into appearing for media debates.
Tinubu disclosed this through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.
A statement by Onanuga read partly: ‘The more absurd of the two positions was the one canvassed by the spokesperson of Atiku/Okowa campaign. The PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar didn’t also attend Arise News Town Hall Meeting.