Arise TV Stokes Trouble With Tinubu, Insists On Invitation To Townhall

Further controversy between Arise TV and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was brewing on Tuesday after the television station insisted on the appearance of the APC presidential candidate at its scheduled townhall meeting holding on December 4.

GWG.NG reports that the invitation is despite the insistence by the Tinubu campaign that it would not honour an invitation from Arise TV to appear for an interview or debate at the station.

Arise TV had on November 25 announced that its third presidential town hall series will hold on December 4, with four presidential candidates expected to attend on the said day.

The four on the schedule to attend are Tinubu, Peter Obi of Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Rabiu Kwakwanso of NNPP.

The Tinubu campaign in disclaiming the announcement had claimed that it was never formally notified and insisted that it would boycott the event on account of the lack of prior consultation and warned Arise TV to stop mentioning Tinubu’s name as a participant for the event.

However, Arise TV has not given up on having Tinubu at the town hall meeting as in another promotion for the event the television station cited section 22 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria.

“The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people,” the aforementioned section reads.

The broadcast media said it is expected of a presidential candidate to “respond to questions from independent journalists”.

“In furtherance to this constitutional duty, Arise news channel will host the third in the series of the presidential town hall and expects all candidates seeking elections to form a government under this constitution, to respect the letters and spirit of the law, either on Arise news channel or any broadcast channel or media of their choice, to respond to questions from independent journalists, in keeping with the fundamental objectives, responsibility and accountability required by the constitution for those who wish to lead us,” Arise TV added in insisting on the appearance of Tinubu at its scheduled townhall meeting.

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