NBC fines TVC for airing Tinubu’s ‘hate speech’

The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission has slapped a N2m fine on Television Continental for airing what it described as hate speech made by All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his cohorts. The NBC in a letter to TVC owned by Tinubu, said the station has consistently violated the Nigeria broadcasting code in their coverage of forthcoming general election. The letter dated February 3 was signed by Balarabe Ilelah, NBC director-general. The letter listed the times the TVC made such broadcasts: “On 06/01/23 at 12:29PM, the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council made the following comments while briefing the media. Festus Keyamo: ‘…Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja. At the same time that Ahmed Bola Asiwaju was toiling hard, beautifully and meticulously to rebuild Lagos, 2 criminals were stealing money in Abuja at the time… they both stole from the SPV account at that time.’ Speaking about the whistleblower, Micheal Achimugu, he said, ‘We suspect that some goons of Atiku Abubakar are planning to eliminate him and members of his family. In fact, my big brother FFK actually hinted to me about something like that yesterday.” “On 24/01/23 at 03:39 PM, during the APC Presidential Rally in Abia State. The APC Presidential Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu after telling the public to vote APC under the symbol of broom, he went on to make the following comment ‘…You know what you do with the rest of them? They are like lizards, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Just take the broom, wipe them off’. “On 31/01/23 at 02:37pm, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally which was held in Anambra State. The Party’s Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also made the following remarks: ‘When you hear Atiku use the word Muslim and say ‘Wallahi, Talahi, you know what is in his heart? ‘na lie I lie’. Anytime you hear Atiku say Wallahi Talahi, just reply him say, na lie you lie’.” “On 10th October, 2022, your station started its news with 17 minutes of APC news and 1 minutes of PDP story with a video clip that did not play.”