Hannatu Musawa, deputy spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council has explained why she posted a video of the party’s candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima doling crispy naira notes to a physically challenged man in Abuja.
Tinubu and Shettima were captured in a two-minute video on Tuesday giving the man new naira notes at a town hall meeting with people living with disabilities.
The APC candidate, who donned a brown attire and a blue cap, is seen in the video reaching out his hands to one of his aides, who gave him the cash that he handed over to the man.
The video clip went viral and was circulated all over social media with critics and opposition members including Reno Omokri, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan and Emeka Obasi, a media aide to Labour Party presidential candidate, describing it as corruption.
Reacting, Musawa in a statement said it is unfair for some Nigerians to label the act of compassion shown by Tinubu as bribery.
She said she posted the video with the intention of telling the compassionate story of the empathetic leadership that Tinubu, supported by Shettima “will surely give to Nigeria after they emerge victorious in the upcoming election, by the grace of The Almighty.”
Musawa added that she was stunned to discover that the narration was spun by the opposition to reflect an act of bribery and corruption.
She said, “My attention has been drawn to the dishonest, erroneous and incorrect narrative spun by unctuous, dissipated, debauched and desperate elements within the opposition to turn a perfectly innocent video I posted of a kind act I witnessed my Principals carrying out into something mendacious and devious.
“As I watch the negative chronicle being spun by the opposition Svengali’s, trying to enforce a specific negative narrative on the public, it is clear that the falsehood being spread stems from the devious imagination and wicked machinations of a desperate and self combusting opposition.
“On Monday, the 19th December 2022 at approximately 4:48 pm, I watched with appreciation and approbation as my two principals, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Kashim Shettima performed an act of kindness towards a poor and disabled man who was truly in need. After watching them, I was further convinced that these were two men of precious faith that have the heart of kindness, empathy and compassion. And I believed it was a story that needed to be told.
“Almsgiving by virtue of the two holy teachings, giving charity and alms specifically to help the poor becomes a core tenant for Muslims and Christians to abide by.
“A few days ago, I attended a gathering with the Presidential candidate of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Alhaji Kashim Shettima where they had a robust engagement with persons with disability. During the event, our principals had the opportunity to interact with a poor and disabled elderly gentleman. Borne purely out of compassion, my principals spoke to this gentleman, listened to him and performed the tenant of charity and almsgiving towards him.
“As I watched this tender moment between the three men, I wanted to capture it and show the world the empathy that organically runs through the veins of my principals, and that raw spirit of charity that they both imbibe.
“I posted the video, not out of mistake, but with the intention of telling the compassionate story of the empathetic leadership that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, supported by Alhaji Kashim Shettima will surely give to Nigeria after they emerge victorious in the upcoming election, by the grace of The Almighty.
“Having the honor of traversing the country with my two principals during this campaign, has given me the peace of mind that Nigeria will be in good hands under their leadership. This is not only because they come with the capacity, character, commitment, clout, courage, vision, and honesty of purpose to identify the most troubling challenges our beautiful nation faces and find lasing solutions to them but also because they both carry that element of empathy and compassion needed to understand the needs of Nigerians and being aware of our feelings and thoughts.
“That 2-minute video clip was a visual reflection of my principals’ compassion towards the needy. Rather than commend Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Kashim Shettima, for a kind act towards a man that was clearly in need, the opposition have regrettably decided to put a negative spin on a story of goodwill and sheer kindness.
“While it is unfortunate that the opposition refuses to contain the campaign to an issue-based campaign, which focusses on the action plan, manifestos and programs they have for Nigerians, it is clear that they are clutching and grasping at straws and adopting unusual and extreme methods because their ideas have failed even before they have started.
“With the trajectory of the upcoming election showing that the pendulum is swinging to the benefit of an APC victory, there is no question that the opposition is behaving like the proverbial “drowning man” determined to pull others down with them. And while there is hardly any purpose in joining issues with a losing opposition, it is important to highlight their diversionary rhetoric and tactics.
“If there is any lesson to be learnt from the magniloquence attached to the short clip I took and wholeheartedly stand by, is the manipulative devices and palette of tools the opposition is adopting, out of desperation, in order to sell a false narrative to the public. From this one incident, it is now imperative for Nigerians to interrogate every single ‘out of context’ video clip and piece of information, or rather, propaganda, the opposition comes out with.”
“I also urge Nigerians to disregard any fabrication attached to my video of an act of kindness and compassion, and rather concentrate on collectively working to move our nation forward by making the upcoming voting exercise the freest and fairest elections Nigeria will ever have,” the statement added.