Tinubu campaign group accepts using Donald Duke’s picture, apologises

The All Progressive Congress presidential campaign council has apologized to Donald Duke for using his photo in a documentary on its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Recall that in a bid to clear the numerous controversies surrounding the background of Tinubu’s presidential candidature, APC supporters and their media teams packaged various documentaries to launder the image of their presidential candidate.

The documentaries which were televised some months ago on TVC, and also uploaded on various YouTube channels, used a slew of photos and videos to narrate the life history, political ascendancy, and achievements of Tinubu.

However, the APC in a press statement signed by Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga on November 28, 2022 apologized to the former Cross Rivers State governor.

The press statement titled “inadvertent use of former governor Donald Duke’s picture in a documentary on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu” reads, “We have taken note of the video in circulation where former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke said his picture as a 12-year old boy and student of Federal Government Secondary school in Sokoto was used in a documentary to celebrate Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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“Our investigation further revealed that the picture in question has also surfaced in some of our campaign materials, on websites and Twitter accounts of Asíwájú supporters, along with a similar photo of besuited Asíwájú donning an Afrohair popular in the 70s and 80s.

“No one and not even Asiwaju’s personal photographers and the artists who designed the materials, have been able to explain how the photo was mixed up with the other photo that represents Asíwájú’s teenage years. They all said they got both photographs in Google search.

“We have called Governor Donald Duke to apologize for the unintentional mix-up and the error. The usage was an honest mistake for which all involved have accepted responsibility.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that Asíwájú Tinubu did not authorize the appropriation of another person’s image as his own.

“We also want to absolve the Presidential Campaign Council of any blame. To the traducers, who have been attacking Asíwájú Tinubu for what he knew nothing about, we want to appeal to them to be reasonable over this matter.

“We are in a campaign season where many supporters go out of their way to produce jingles, documentaries, posters, billboard materials and other promotional materials without the approval of candidates across political parties.

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“The campaign council has in the meantime established a process for clearance and approval by individuals and support groups who seek to produce campaign materials for media use”.