A deputy governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), in Akwa Ibom State, Godwin Afangideh, has asked the country’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to reprimand penalize Passion FM for allegedly spreading false news.

Passion 94.5 FM is a private radio station based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Afangideh, in a petition dated 30 August, accused the radio station of falsely announcing that he has defected to the All-Progressives Congress (APC).

“By broadcasting this fake news, Passion FM has violated the broadcasting code and the law. It is against the law for a radio station to broadcast fake, injurious news items. Passion FM has therefore broken the law. They should be punished for it,” he said.

“I am therefore urging the NBC to call Passion FM to order. Passion FM should desist from spreading fake news against me and my person and political party.”

Afangideh, a former commissioner for agriculture in the state, is a former member of the APC but had since dumped the party for the NNPP where he was appointed the deputy governorship candidate.

He joined the NNPP after John Akpanudoedehe, a former national secretary of the APC, defected to NNPP where he picked the governorship candidate of the party in the state for the 2023 elections.

The General Manager of Passion FM, Ikechukwu Juwe, when contacted, dismissed the allegation as “laughable.” He challenged Mr. Afangideh to provide a recording of the said broadcast.

Juwe told PREMIUM TIMES that the station does not report the NNPP deputy governorship candidate because the candidate “is not a newsmaker.”