Just In: Atiku Reacts After Wike Threatened to Shoot Channels Journalist
- Atiku Abubakar Media Office condemned Nyesom Wike for threatening journalist Seun Okinbaloye on live television
- The office described Wike’s threat as disgraceful, dangerous, and a chilling signal of government intolerance and abuse of power
- Atiku Media Office demanded an immediate public apology, repudiation of the rhetoric by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, and assurances for journalists’ safety
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The Atiku Abubakar Media Office has condemned, in the strongest terms, the threat issued by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against frontline journalist and broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye.
In a statement cited by Legit.ng on Saturday, April 4, signed by Atiku's media team, noted that such behaviour from a serving minister represents a “chilling signal of how far this government has descended into intolerance, lawlessness, and naked abuse of power.”
Source: Twitter
“This was not a joke. It was not banter. It was a threat—clear, direct, and deeply sinister,” the statement read.
Atiku media office condemns threat
The media office described Wike’s comments, made on live television, as “disgraceful and dangerous” and warned that when those in authority begin to speak the language of violence against journalists, democracy itself is under attack.
“It is not an isolated slip. It is a symptom of a broader, more dangerous pattern under the administration of Bola Tinubu; a pattern where dissent is criminalised, criticism is met with hostility, and intimidation has become the default language of governance,” the statement added.
Journalist threatened over professional opinion
The Atiku Media Office highlighted that Seun Okinbaloye’s only “offence” was cautioning against the creeping danger of a one-party state, to which Wike responded with a violent threat rather than reasoned engagement.
“What crime did Mr. Okinbaloye commit? He dared to warn against the creeping danger of a one-party state. For this, a minister of the republic responded not with reason, but with a threat of violence. Nothing captures the current state of governance more starkly,” the statement said.
Demands for apology and assurances
The statement concluded with specific demands, including an immediate public apology from Wike to Okinbaloye and the entire media community, a public repudiation of such rhetoric by the Tinubu administration, and concrete assurances for the safety and protection of journalists across Nigeria.
“Anything short of this will confirm what many Nigerians already fear; that this government is not merely intolerant of dissent, but increasingly comfortable with the language and instruments of repression. Nigeria will not be bullied into silence. The press will not be cowed, and truth will not be silenced by threats, no matter how powerful or highly placed those behind them,” the statement concluded.
Source: Legit.ng
