The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has removed Alwan Hassan as one of its campaign spokespersons following his controversial appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The decision was announced on Wednesday in a statement signed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the campaign council.
Under the new arrangement, only three officials are authorised to speak on behalf of the campaign. They are the Director-General, Abdulaziz Yari; the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, who retains his position as official spokesperson; and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The council also announced that all previously appointed spokespersons have been relieved of their positions and reassigned to the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications as ordinary members.
Those affected include Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.
Hassan’s removal comes after his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday night, where he was expected to defend the Tinubu administration and highlight its achievements.
During the interview, Hassan identified the introduction of the 112 emergency telephone number as one of the administration’s major achievements.
He explained that Nigerians could now dial 112, similar to the 911 emergency number used in the United States, to access assistance during medical emergencies, security threats, road accidents and other distress situations.
To demonstrate his claim, Hassan challenged the programme’s presenter to dial the number during the live broadcast.
“Take your phone and call 112. Nobody knows about this. We used to hear it in America, 911. Call 112 now, put it on the speaker, and they’ll ask you what’s your emergency,” he said.
However, the attempt to reach the emergency service reportedly failed several times, triggering questions about the effectiveness and accessibility of the service.
The latest controversy adds to previous criticism surrounding Hassan’s public comments.
A few weeks earlier, during another television interview, he had alleged that some ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments in President Tinubu’s administration.
His comments generated controversy, particularly over the allegations of financial inducements in the appointment of federal ministers.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has yet to publicly provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the restructuring beyond the announcement of the new communication arrangement.
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