The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has sacked several of its spokespersons following the controversy generated by a failed live television demonstration of Nigeria’s 112 emergency number by one of its officials, Alwan Hassan.
The decision follows widespread public outrage over the incident, which has drawn intense criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and raised fresh questions about the functionality of the country’s emergency response system.
Apparently piqued by the public embarrassment, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday announced the removal of the spokespersons previously named by the campaign council.
According to a statement issued by Gbajabiamila, only three officials of the campaign council are now recognized to speak on its behalf: the Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; and the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris.
### The Blunder on Live TV
The controversy began when Hassan, appearing on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* program on Tuesday, challenged the anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, to dial 112 to demonstrate the effectiveness of the emergency service—an achievement frequently touted by the APC-led administration.
Hassan had explained that the toll-free number was designed to connect Nigerians instantly to emergency response centers during medical crises, security threats, road accidents, and other distress situations.
However, the live demonstration backfired when repeated attempts by Okinbaloye to reach the emergency line failed to connect.
Despite the failed attempts, Hassan insisted the service was operational, suggesting that a temporary network glitch might be responsible for the outage.
### Opposition Backlash
The incident quickly triggered a public backlash, with opposition parties seizing on the gaffe to question the administration’s claims regarding improved public infrastructure and service delivery.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) described the failed demonstration as a “national embarrassment,” accusing the Tinubu administration of prioritizing propaganda and public relations over functional governance.
In a statement issued Wednesday by its National Campaign Council spokesperson, Dr. Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, the party said the incident exposed deep-seated failures in Nigeria’s emergency response infrastructure.
“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 the APC government that we’ve been speaking about,” the NDC said.
The opposition argued that citizens should be able to access emergency assistance without hitfalls, particularly during life-threatening situations. It also slammed the government for deflecting the blame onto network providers rather than addressing structural shortcomings.
“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 accused the administration of favoring self-praise over tackling insecurity, poorly equipped hospitals, unreliable public infrastructure, and the rising cost of living.
### Fallout Within the APC
The incident has escalated into an internal crisis for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, culminating in the immediate purge of its communications team.
The development comes as the ruling party intensifies efforts to defend President Tinubu’s record ahead of the 2027 general elections, facing stiff opposition scrutiny over the economy, security, and public service delivery.
The 112 emergency number is intended to provide a centralized channel for accessing police, fire, ambulance, and other critical response agencies. Its reliability, however, remains under intense public scrutiny following the televised failure.
At the inauguration of the campaign council, five individuals were originally appointed as spokespersons, with Dele Alake serving as the lead. The four other appointees—Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, and Adamu Fanda—have now been officially relieved of their positions.
