Wike vs Channels TV Journalist: Minister's Intent Finally Emerges
Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the comment of his boss about a journalist with Channels Television, Seun Okinbaloye, was in a "hyperbolic context".
Olayinka, in a statement on Saturday, April 4, said the minister and the journalist spoke about the matter on the telephone on Saturday.
Source: Twitter
Wike, in a media chat on Friday, April 3, said he would have shot Okinbaloye when the latter was making a case for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) during a live programme, "Politics Today".
The minister accused the journalist of taking sides and being unprofessional during the programme by saying the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was to stifle the opposition and ensure that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would be the only party on the ballot in the 2027 elections.
Okinbaloye's claim had been the position of the ADC since INEC made the move, while the electoral body had faulted the opposition party for allegedly ignoring court orders. Wike posited that the Channels journalist should not have projected the position of the opposition on live broadcast, being a professional and should have allowed ADC to speak for itself.
However, the minister's outburst prompted outrage from Nigerians, leading to his aide's clarification. At the same time, Olayinka's clarification has started generating reactions. Below are some of the comments:
Gbenga Giwa condemned criticism of Wike:
"Children of noise always like to major in minor? Anyone without an agenda will know that Wike said he would shoot Seun in jest. It's like telling your bosom friend, playfully: 'I will kill you o, if you touch my food'. That is the one they are holding against Wike. I thought people would be more serious than this. Anyway, how will the agenda of children of closed minds, agenda, if they don't hang on to every straw?"
Taiwo Adeniyi defended the minister:
"Any sane person should know this, but some people are hell-bent on creating an agenda out of everything."
Ghata said the minister should apologise:
"Your boss made a serious blunder on live TV broadcast; instead of apologising accordingly, he's here giving unwarranted excuses. Mr Mere, tell your boss, Mr Wike, to do the needful."
Luca Fabriziano said the minister should have known better:
"There’s no press release that whitewashes what has been said. Wike, a Politician known to be articulate in his utterances, should know better when he made such a statement on national TV that people will read all sorts of meanings into it."
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Source: Legit.ng
