Obi-Datti: Tinubu asks NBC to sanction Channels TV

President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to sanction Channels Television for violating the Nigerian Broadcasting Code during an interview with the vice-presidential candidate of the Labor Party, Datti Baba Ahmed.

In the petition signed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, dated March 30, 2023, Tinubu said: "In accordance with Section 14.0.1 of the 6th edition of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code stating the commission's duty to accept complaints from aggrieved persons, bodies or members of the public and to investigate as well as apply sanctions where necessary, APC PCC requests by presents to the commission the violations committed by CHANNELS TV in its "Politics Today" program last week."

Tinubu accused Baba Ahmed of making several comments undermining the integrity of the February 25, 2023 presidential elections. In the interview, he criticized the emergence of the former governor of Lagos as president elected and categorically requested the Chief Justice of Nigeria and President Muhamadu Buhari not to swear him in.

In his petition, Tinubu noted that the show host should have warned the Dattis for making such thoughtless comments and that for not doing so, the station should be sanctioned.

According to the petition, "The guest of the show in question, Datti Baba-Ahmed, said that President Muhammadu Buhari should not be sworn in as president-elect because he did not get 25% of the vote in the FCT, being one of the prerequisites to be declared the winner. This is a subversive comment since the case is among the issues submitted in their motion to the court for decision. Therefore, until the court decides otherwise, the status quo is the position of INEC as declared in the final results.

"Guest Datti Baba Ahmed's comments on the LP's victory in the presidential poll undermine the constituted authority given to INEC in the 1999 Constitution as the body vested with the power to conduct and announce the results of the national general elections in Nigeria. Any figure aside, this one will have to be certified by a court as authentic.

"Therefore, Mr. Datti's statements that the INEC return certificate issued to Tinubu is a 'missed cheque' and is null and void are not only divisive and subversive, but also inciting and arsonists.

"The Code states in Section 3.8.1(b) that "A broadcaster shall ensure that no program contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or which undermines the unity or the corporate existence of the nation as a sovereign state".

"Mr. Datti's comment later on the same program that if 'President Buhari were to hand over to the president-elect by May 29, it would be the end of democracy' is another case of pronouncement thoughtless and breach of section 5.3.3(b), which states that - "A broadcaster shall avoid divisive and inflammatory subject matter in its provocative form using political material".

"Furthermore, Section 3.0.2.1 states that no broadcaster shall encourage or incite crime, lead to public hatred, disorder, or be repugnant to public feelings that cause disaffection.

"We therefore urge NBC to invoke the necessary sanctions on Channels Television for the violations listed above."