Hate campaign: Buhari bars AIT from his events

 in 2015 Election, News, Politics, 

The incoming government may be out to take

out it pound of flesh from the operators of

African Independent Television (AIT) for the hate

campaigns it aired against its then presidential

candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, during the

campaigns.

Security men attached to the president-elect on

Monday barred the station’s news crew from

covering Buhari’s functions. It was learned that

Buhari’s family had raised security issues which

prompted the ban.

A report by Vanguard stated that the directive

was discreetly given to the correspondent by an

official at the Defence House where the crew had

gone to cover the visit of the Cuban ambassador

to Buhari.

Confirming the issue, Buhari’s media aide,

Mallam Garba Shehu said that such warning

was given and may be revoked when some

security and ethical issues were resolved with

the station.

He said: “AIT has been asked to stay aside

based on security and family concerns. In

addition, Buhari has decided that they will have

to resolve some issues relating to issues of

standard and ethics.

“We will be talking with them to try and resolve

the matter, but for now the station has been

asked to stay aside, because like I said there are

some family and security concerns. They have

been asked to step down their coverage until we

resolve the matter with them on ethics and

standards.”

When asked whether he should be quoted, Shehu

said, “yes you can quote me that I said we have

asked them to step aside and that we are

resolving the issues of ethics and standards with

them.”

He, however, stated that the Nigerian Television

Authority, NTA, was not involved in the ban,

saying the crew was at liberty to attend any

official engagements of the President-elect.

Meanwhile, there were feelings that Buhari’s ban

of AIT came against the background of the hate

documentaries and campaign messages played

on the station’s network during the polls.