Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has vowed to sue some media organisations, but not ThisNigeria Media, over alleged fake news and character assassination.

Tinubu accused the media organisations of assassinating his character over an alleged drug trafficking case previously treated in the United States.

The Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement via his Facebook page on Saturday, said a suit would be filed over the case “sooner than later.”

Onanuga’s statement comes on the heels of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) denial of investigating a criminal case against Tinubu.

He accused media organisations, but not This Nigeria, of being paid by the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Labour Party, LP, Abubakar Atiku and Peter Obi, respectively to spread fake news against Tinubu.

He stated, “All those people spreading fake news and assassinating the character of Asiwaju Tinubu will meet us in court sooner than later.

“You have all thrown professionalism and objectivity to Jabi Lake because you are playing the script of your master puppeteers, Atiku and Peter Obi. The height of your shenanigans today was the wide use of a fake INEC statement,” he said.

Recall that during the week, documents circulated in the public space detailing a forfeiture of money via the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois purported to be linked to alleged drug trafficking by Tinubu.

The documents however did not show that Tinubu was put on trial or that he had dealings with drug trafficking rings. The documents also showed the case was concluded about 30 years ago.

The matter, according to the report, led to Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in one of the 10 accounts linked to the former Lagos state governor.

Tinubu’s campaign also said the forfeiture was for taxes not paid on income accruing to the ruling party’s candidate.

But, Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council sees it differently as he lampoons the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as the arrow head behind the recent document flying about after his brief controversial sojourn in America for a tour.

Bayo accused the party as doing everything to ensure they sustain attacks on Tinubu even though he has been freed of all encumbrance dug on his way to the presidency.

In a statement, Bayo said Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party after they have discovered that there is no way for them resorted to armchair throwing of darts against Asiwaju Tinubu which it see as nothing short of hanging on a straw for their weak political ladder saying they did it by forging Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, letterhead to enable them convey their  unsubstantiated wishes.

But the Commission yesterday came out to deny that the letter didn’t emanate from them and that they don’t have any intention whatsoever for investigating the drug allegations against the presidential candidate.

It denied that the letter was the purported handwork of mischief makers whose intention was to cause confusion among the people noting that it was unfortunate that it came from the opposition leaders.

According to INEC: ” A Press Release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022. It claims that the Commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against one of the Presidential candidates in the forthcoming General Election and is liaising with a Court in the United States of America in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.

” We wish to state categorically that the said Press Release did not emanate from the Commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.

“Press Releases from the Commission are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through our website and official social media handles. The public is advised to ignore the Press Release”, INEC stated.

Onanuga said: ” The opposition Peoples Democratic Party and its subsidiary Labour Party having realised they have no sure path to victory in the February 2023 presidential election upped their  campaign of calumny, disinformation and misinformation on Saturday by sponsoring fake news against the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

” They did it by forging the letterhead of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the signature of its national commissioner, Festus Okoye.

” The forged statement purportedly issued by INEC was disseminated to deceive the gullible public that INEC was investigating allegations against Asiwaju Tinubu that, they desperately hoped, will ultimately lead to the disqualification of the frontline APC Presidential candidate.

“We are not in any way surprised by the antics of the sinking opposition parties. What we found shocking was how quickly some compromised media organisations gulped the falsehood, hook, line and sinker, without attempting to verify.

“We understand why they did so: the forgery and its narrative fit their mindset of throwing overboard every known virtue of ethical journalism and professionalism, as they work in cahoot with the opposition to defame Asiwaju Tinubu.

“This inglorious path has been taken before since 2003 and in the run-up to the primaries of the ruling APC that produced Asiwaju Tinubu as the presidential torch bearer. Those who took this damned path of infamy lost their bet because Asiwaju Tinubu stands rock solid and indestructible.

,”Our candidate has consistently said he will make this campaign about issues that affect the lives of Nigerians and how to proffer workable and enduring solutions that will improve quality of life of our people who are looking for leaders at all levels to improve their lives and sow them seeds of prosperity in our country.

“He has demonstrated this resolve by publishing an 80-page manifesto tagged Action Plan for a Better Nigeria, which he has been selling to strategic sectoral groups in the country.

“We had hoped anyone aspiring to lead our country at this time will be a natural subscriber to this noble and higher goal.

“It is clear the opposition parties and purveyors of fake news have other negative ideas: they want to make this election cycle more about muckraking and mudslinging.

“While we want to stay above the fray and stand by our commitment to inspire our people and restore their faith and confidence in the immense goodness and greatness of our country, we want to serve  notice to all the agents of disinformation and their collaborating media platforms, that our campaign organisation stands ready to confront and fight all libellous and defamatory  publications  against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We shall no longer allow the prevailing recklessness and utter disregard for professional judgment to continue unchallenged.

“We also call on the police to investigate the circulation of the forged INEC statement and serve justice to those responsible”, he said.

Continuing, Onanuga stated further that all the media houses who responded to the purported fake letter from alleged opposition groups, they will meet in court saying it was wrong for the media organisations to have cash in on the letter to commerce the discussion thereby lending more credence to the allegations against the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said: “All those people, including Arise TV,  BusinessDay and Channels TV spreading fake news and assassinating the character of  Asíwájú Tinubu will meet us in court sooner than later. You have all thrown professionalism and objectivity to Jabi Lake because you are playing the script of your master puppeteers, Atiku and Peter  Obi. The height of your shenanigans today was the wide use of a fake INEC statement. Shame on you all. See the INEC denial below.”