Atiku slams Tinubu as agency smashes billboards

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the just-completed 2023 elections, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for tearing down billboards in key areas of the Federal Capital Territory that attracted public attention to the judiciary as Nigerians awaited the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Due to its support of billboards accused of seeking to sway the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with the slogan “All Eyes on the Judiciary,” the Federal Government has dismissed the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel.

The panel was dissolved on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Nigerian Advertising Regulatory Council.

A statutory panel within the council, the ASP, has the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements comply with the federation’s regulations in force and the code of conduct for advertising professionals.

The statement outlined the reasons the advertisement should not have been approved and noted that the Advertising Standards Panel had not approved the concepts exposed. As a result, the council had ordered that all of the materials being exposed be removed right away and that those who violated the law be punished.

The statement stated: “The Advertising Standards Panel of the Council also erred in approving one of the concepts, since the commercial failed to evaluate standards on the following grounds:

“The issue under consideration by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal serves as the campaign’s main theme. Thus, it is jus pendis.

The Nigerian legal system prohibits an issue from becoming the topic of a public speech, debate, discussion, or advertisement while it is jus pendis and awaiting judicial pronouncement. The commercial is divisive and has the potential to spark civil unrest and a violation of public peace.

“The advertisement is deemed blackmail against the Nigerian judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and notably the honourable Justices of the tribunal who are supposed to fulfil their legal duties without fear or favour over a case that is currently jus pendis,” the statement reads.

The statement went on to say that the council has temporarily suspended its director and deputy director in charge of regulations while conducting an inquiry.

Olalekan Fadolapo, the ARCON’s Director-General, claimed that the panel’s inability to reject an advertisement that did not adhere to the commission’s vetting requirements was the reason it was essential to fire the panel.

He continued, “Before the information is presented to the panel, they evaluate it first to ensure that it complies with the policies and processes for vetting. In failing to recognise that, they failed in their own duty. That is the reason they were fired.

However, in response, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, characterised the removal of the billboards bearing the slogan “All eyes on the judiciary” as unequivocal proof of “President Bola Tinubu’s authoritarianism and assault on the freedom of speech.”

The fundamental tenet of social justice is that it is about the people, according to Shaibu. The billboard advertising only adhered to the standards of civilised environments. It was the agents trying to pique interest who gave that innocent advertisement significance.

“Otherwise, it is a fundamental concept that eyes must be on the justice wheel. Eyes must naturally be on the wheel of justice since, in order to be considered just, justice must be executed. Anyhow, Tinubu and the APC are both in front of the same court. How this particular message upsets them is curious. In any case, they won’t be able to stop all eyes from being on the courts at this momentous time even if they take down the billboards.

“Tinubu has, once again, placed his authoritarian propensity on public display,” Atiku remarked in reference to that action.

“This is a blatant instance of misuse of office and strengthens the case for court proceedings to be resolved prior to the inauguration so that the beneficiaries of rigged elections would not be able to influence the system in their favour.”