Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) of double standard by threatening to sanction only Arise Television, for airing interview it considered adverse to President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication Phrank Shaibu said the NBC has refused to take similar action against Television Continental (TVC), a platform belonging to Tinubu, which he alleged, had persistent attacked his person and had refused to even air opposition views.
The PDP candidate noted that last February, “the NBC tried to show a bit of fairness and fined TVC for unprofessional broadcasts, including the airing of the joint media directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council press briefing where Festus Keyamo said Obasanjo and Atiku ran a criminal enterprise, and an empire of fraud in Abuja.
“However, since Tinubu became president on May 29, the NBC has become more partisan than ever.
“The NBC boss, Balarabe Ilelah, is obviously seeking to retain his appointment and is now dancing to the tune of the APC and their master at the presidential villa.”
He stated that the NBC’s letter to Arise is a plot to gag the media ahead of the release of the records containing investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Atiku said Tinubu’s administration had become frustrated with the Chicago State University scandal and was planning a massive offensive in the coming days, adding that the threat by the NBC to sanction Arise was only a tip of the iceberg.
“The NBC has now been co-opted into a grand plot to gag the media over Tinubu’s certificate scandal.
“Having lost the battle in the court of public opinion, they are now trying to use the powers of the state to browbeat the media into silence.
“This is indeed shameful for a man who claimed to be a hero of the June 12 struggle,” he stated.
He however called on the Nigerian media not to be cowed, adding that the trove of documents that the FBI is about to release this month will allegedly expose details of the investigation on the president.
“The dissemination of this information must not be left to social media alone. The media must rise up to its role as the watchdog of society as enshrined in Section 22 of the 1999 constitution,” he demanded.
Atiku wondered why the standard for the president of Nigeria was lower than that of a ministerial nominee from Delta State, Stella Okotete, a director at NEXIM Bank, who was denied confirmation by the Nigerian Senate, over alleged certificate forgery, and the youngster, Mmesoma Ejikeme, who forged her JAMB results from a third party vendor.
“Okotete claimed to have graduated from Benson Idahosa University in 2007 with a second class lower grade in International Studies and Diplomacy and completed the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from Kebbi State in 2009.
“However, amid allegations of certificate forgery, the Senate refused to confirm her while the authorities continued to investigate her.
“However, in the case of Tinubu, who holds the highest office in the land, they want Nigerians to overlook it. They are asking Nigerians to focus on governance instead.
“Isn’t it ironic that the bar has been lowered for the office of the president? Is it not mind-boggling that people who would not employ even third glass graduates in their private companies are the same ones now defending certificate forgery? The hypocrisy is indeed disturbing,” Atiku added.
