The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council has responded to the criticism that its presidential flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, received for giving cash gifts to a disabled man by claiming that the gesture was a show of kindness rather than a bribe, contrary to popular speculation.
Goldennewsng reports that Tinubu and Shettima can be seen giving a physically challenged man crispy naira notes in the two-minute video that went viral on social media during an Abuja meeting of people living with disabilities (PLWDs).
Members of the opposition, including former presidential aide Reno Omokri and spokesperson for Labour Party presidential candidate Emeka Obasi, accused Tinubu of corruption after the video went viral.
On the other hand, in their Wednesday explanation of the video’s content, the APC campaign team said that the accusation was “dishonest, erroneous, and incorrect narrative” and that Tinubu and Shettima were just helping the man in the video.
Barrister Hannatu Musawa, deputy spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, stated the following regarding the subject: My attention has been drawn to the dishonest, erroneous, and incorrect narrative that has been spun by dishonest, dissipated, debauched, and desperate individuals in the opposition to transform a perfectly innocent video that I posted of a kind act that I witnessed my principals performing into something shady and devious. I saw my principals performing this act.
“A few days ago, I went to a gathering with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, and Alhaji Kashim Shetima, his running mate, where they did a lot of talking to people with disabilities.
“During the event, our principals had the chance to talk to an elderly man who was poor and had a disability. My principals spoke to this gentleman, listened to him, and performed the act of charity and almsgiving toward him out of pure compassion.
“As I watched this tender moment between the three men, I wanted to capture it and show the world the raw spirit of charity that they both imbibe and the empathy that my principals naturally carry.”
Musawa made sense of that she shared the video to recount a merciful and convincing story of initiative as portrayed by Tinubu and Shettima.
