Edo APC Candidate, Okpebholo, Warned against  Attacks on ARISE TV

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City

A socio-political group,  the Concerned Edo Citizens Forum (CECF), has warned the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 21 Edo governorship election, Monday Okpebholo, to cease his attacks on ARISE News Channel and its presenter, Rufai Oseni, for simply doing their job of holding candidates accountable and calling on him to come forward and lay out his plans and programmes for the people.

In a statement by the Convener, CECF, Comrade Roy Oribhabor and the  Director of Publicity, Mr. Felix Osas Osagie, the group charged the APC candidate to stop evading public scrutiny and honour the invitation extended to him by the station, just as other candidates in the forthcoming guber elections.

The group condemned, in the strongest terms, the fierce attack against ARISE  Channel by the APC candidate in an attempt to gag one of its presenters, Rufai Oseni.

ARISE News Channel through the  anchor had extended an invitation to Okpebholo to engage and share his visions and plans for the state’s development and prosperity. However, Okpebholo, who has been evading public scrutiny and is now generally known among the people as a mannequin candidate, has begun to denigrate the station, trying to use his political might to strangle and gag the media simply because he was invited by the station.

Similar calls were made to other candidates, including Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, who heeded the call and appeared on the television station to share their visions for the people and the state.

The  group  said it was rather shameful and disappointing that instead of addressing the people, the APC candidate has chosen to suppress and silence the media by leveraging his political influence, noting that such ignoble actions undermine the democratic process and deprive voters of crucial information needed to make informed decisions.

According to them, “We condemn in the strongest terms the fierce attack against ARISE News Channel by the APC candidate in an attempt to gag one of its presenters, Rufai Oseni. It is rather shameful and disappointing that instead of addressing the people, Monday Okpebholo has chosen to leverage his political influence to suppress and silence the media.

“It is curious and ridiculous that a candidate will be evading the media but prefers to speak through proxies. Edo people don’t want proxy leadership. We urge Okpebholo to desist from such ignoble actions as they are capable of undermining the democratic process and depriving voters of crucial information needed to make informed decisions.”

They further noted: “Engaging with the media is a crucial part of any democratic process. It’s important for candidates to present their plans openly and tell the public what they intend to do and how they intend to achieve these plans should they be elected.

 “We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise to the defence of freedom of the press and support ARISE News Channel in its commitment to holding all candidates and other public officials accountable.”

Earlier in his response, the Oseni, while condemning the attempt by the APC candidate to gag the media, said: “As a media man, I have a right to invite any guest on any platform, it’s not a big deal, it was about engagement, not politics.”

He added: “I don’t see why my invitation to the APC candidate should be politicized. In the past, I once called for an interview with Mr. Ighodalo, the PDP candidate and he took the invitation and proved himself, but why is it that a ‘common’ call to the APC candidate is now a touchy matter? We have also interviewed the candidate of the LP. Again, it is no big deal to want to interview the candidate of the APC in the Edo elections. He has a right to state his goals to the people of his state. Our doors are wide open.”