You’re a dictator, Atiku tackles Tinubu as ARCON destroys ‘All Eyes On The Judiciary’ billboards

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party—PDP, has lambasted President Bola Tinubu over the destruction of the ‘All Eyes On The Judiciary’ billboards across the federal capital territory, Abuja.

The federal government of Nigeria had on Tuesday suspended two top officials of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria—ARCON for approving the advertisement.

It also disbanded the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel—ASP following the advert which has been adjudged by individuals sympathetic to the ruling party as controversial.

Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON in statement said the advertisement is considered a blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is pending in the court.

But Atiku’s spokesman, Mr Phrank Shaibu, while reacting in a statement obtained by News Band Newspaper, described the destruction of the billboards as a clear evidence of “President Bola Tinubu’s authoritarianism and assault on the freedom of speech.”

Shaibu said, “The basic principle of social justice is about the people. The advertisers of the billboards only did what the norm is in civilised climes. It was the agents working to impress an interest that read meanings to that innocuous advert.

“Otherwise, it is a basic principle that eyes must be on the wheel of justice. Eyes must naturally be on the wheel of justice because when justice is delivered, it must be ‘seen’ to have been just! In any case, both Tinubu and the APC are before the same court. It is curious how they find this particular message upsetting. Anyway, even if they pull down the billboards, they can never stop all eyes from being on the judiciary at this historic time.”

“Tinubu has, once again, put his dictatorial tendency on public display.”

“This is a clear case of abuse of office and reinforces the argument that court cases ought to be concluded before the inauguration so that beneficiaries of fraudulent elections would not be able to manipulate the system in their favour.”

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