DAAR Communication denies bestowing award on Buhari

DAAR Communications has reacted to a tweet by the the Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Bashir Ahmad where he congratulated President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) for clinching the DAAR Awards for African President of the year.

In a statement made by the Group on Twitter via their broadcast channel, @OfficialAITlive, it said the Awards did not reflect the activities of the President for the year 2019 in review.

The attention of DAAR Communications PLC has been drawn to an image circulating on social media and amplified by the personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media, @BashirAhmaad purportedly showing President Buhari as the DAAR Awards African President of the Year pic.twitter.com/uvCd0LnJwe

— AIT ONLINE (@OfficialAITlive) December 20, 2019

It also explained that the awards were given out as honorary awards to four African leaders which included President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and President Buhari of Nigeria. According to the statement, the award ceremenony held as far back as January 2019.

The statement read thus:

It has become necessary to respond as follows:

The award given to Mr President was an honorary award given to four African leaders which included Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and President Buhari of Nigeria.

The 3rd DAAR Awards was hosted in January 2019 and therefore the award doesn’t reflect the activities of Mr President for the year 2019 in review.

2019.
It has become necessary to respond as follows:

1. The award given to Mr President was an honorary award given to four African leaders which included Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and President Buhari of Nigeria.

— AIT ONLINE (@OfficialAITlive) December 20, 2019

2. The 3rd DAAR Awards was hosted in January 2019 and therefore the award doesn’t reflect the activities of Mr President for the year 2019 in review.

3. Further to numerous complaints received from our social media followers to the award, we had on January 21st, 2019 shared the

— AIT ONLINE (@OfficialAITlive) December 20, 2019

Furthermore, the group went ahead to attach a tweet dated January 21st, 2019 where it responded to numerous complaints received from social media followers, questioning its motive to bestow the award of African President of the year on President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Here is the statement below:

HAVING RECOGNISED 72 WINNERS IN CATEGORIES RANGING FROM POLITICS, BUSINESS, LIFESTYLE, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC AND SPORTS IT HAS BECOME NECESSARY TO PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATIONS ON THE PROCESS BY WHICH WINNERS HAVE EMERGED IN OUR JUST CONCLUDED DAAR AWARDS. @daarawards

— AIT (@AIT_Online) January 21, 2019

THE DAAR AWARDS IS NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA POPULARITY CONTEST, HOWEVER WE DO VALUE THE FEEDBACK AND OPINIONS OF OUR VALUED AUDIENCES AND THUS HAVE ALLOCATED 30% OF THE SCORES TO THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.@daarawards

— AIT (@AIT_Online) January 21, 2019

REACTIONS TO THE DECISION TO AWARD THE AFRICAN PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR TO PRESIDENT BUHARI HAVE TRAILED THE AWARDS IN VIEW OF PRESIDENT BUHARI LOSING OUR POLL FOR WHO SHOULD WIN THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD. WE HAVE NOT TAKEN DOWN THE POLL RESULTS @daarawards @MBuhari @NGRSenate

— AIT (@AIT_Online) January 21, 2019

The general public is therefore advised to kindly disregard the image been circulated, as it does not represent the position of DAAR Communications PLC for 2019.
- Mgt

— AIT ONLINE (@OfficialAITlive) December 20, 2019

Responding to the development, Ahmad said he was misled to congratulate Buhari on the award. He tendered his apologies and looked forward to the Major General emerging the winner of the 2019 edition of the awards.

Ohh woww. I was actually misled then. My bad, the tweet is down, apologize for using ‘2019’ in my tweet. By the way, we are anticipating the 2019 awards.

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) December 20, 2019

Nigerians however refused to take the matter lightly with Ahmad as they termed the Major General's assistant a liar and a peddler of fake news.

A user @OsujiZubis could not hide his amazement that Buhari was considered for an award.

I'm still bemused General @MBuhari was considered for an award even as at January 2019.
Man has done nothing positive since 1983 to deserve any award

— LOCAL MAN???? (@OsujiZubis) December 20, 2019

Another user @AGOmeiza commended AIT for issuing the disclaimer

Glad you have done the needful by issuing this disclaimer.

— AGO (@AGOmeiza) December 20, 2019

@theonce001 asked AIT to file a suit against Ahmad

You should sue him @BashirAhmaad for defamation cos this is what it is let him pay through his ass. Buhari will bail him out after all. They've looted more than enough and still looting. ????

— Theophilus-Truth-hurts (Omo iya calabar ????????) (@theonce001) December 20, 2019

Another user called him a liar in Yoruba parlance

Bashir oniro OSI!

— Od??rìndé Máy??wá Olúwatóbi ???????? (@TOBECCO1) December 20, 2019

More reactions are recorded below:

When a nama/muturu ndama becomes a PA...

— Anaco (@nnaemeka_anene) December 20, 2019

Thank you DAAR, I know you will NEVER award such man any award a failure 100%

— emmanuel adeyi eluma (@eluma_1970) December 20, 2019

Hahahahahaha...
2,000 such awards can not change a impression about Gen Buhari. He's an epitom of darkness.

— Austeen Osumah (@austeen247) December 20, 2019