‘National Embarrassment’: NDC faults Tinubu campaign spokesman over failed 112 emergency line demo

….Party describes incident as national embarrassment, urges APC to prepare to leave office in 2027 By Henry Umoru ABUJA — The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s campaign spokesperson, Mallam Alwan Hassan, over his inability to demonstrate the functionality of Nigeria’s 112 emergency line during a live television appearance, describing the incident as a reflection of what it called the failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

The party urged the Federal Government to address the challenges confronting the emergency response system rather than dismiss the incident as a network problem. In a statement on Wednesday, signed by the Spokesperson of the NDC National Campaign Council, Dr Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, the party called on the APC-led government to acknowledge its shortcomings and stop what it described as deceiving Nigerians.

Ikokwu also urged the ruling party to prepare to leave office in 2027, saying an administration led by the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would address the country’s challenges. The NDC spokesperson said Nigerians deserved a government that worked, functional institutions and reliable public services, particularly in emergencies where lives were at stake.

The statement read, “The failed attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s Campaign Spokesperson, Mallam Alwan Hassan, to demonstrate the functionality of Nigeria’s 112 emergency line on national television was nothing short of a national embarrassment, and a prime example of the total flop of All Progressives Congress (APC) government that we’ve been speaking about.

“In what should have been a straightforward demonstration of a critical public safety service, the emergency line failed to respond. The very system he sought to showcase as working became a live illustration of a government that has collapsed.” The party said the incident raised questions about the state of the country’s emergency response infrastructure and the government’s preparedness to protect citizens.

It argued that Nigerians needed a responsive emergency system when faced with accidents, violent attacks, medical emergencies and other life-threatening situations. Dismissing the explanation that the line failed because of network issues, the NDC said the government should address the problem rather than offer excuses. The party also described the incident as part of what it alleged were wider challenges confronting the country, citing insecurity, poorly equipped hospitals, unreliable public infrastructure, institutional weaknesses and the rising cost of living.

It accused the government of concentrating more on defending its public image than addressing problems affecting ordinary Nigerians. “Governance is not about what government spokespersons say on television, it is about what ordinary Nigerians experience when they need their government most,” the statement added. The NDC further argued that a government unable to demonstrate the functionality of its emergency line should prioritise fixing the system rather than engaging in public relations exercises.

It reiterated its call on the APC-led government to acknowledge its shortcomings and prepare to vacate office in 2027. “Nigerians deserve a government that works, institutions that function and public services that can be trusted when lives are on the line. Public safety is not a propaganda exercise. And the lives of Nigerians are too important to be reduced to a failed television demonstration,” the statement added.