The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, has come under severe criticism from his “friend”, Richard Akinnola.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Onanuga had on Thursday signed a petition asking the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction Channels Television for allegedly breaching the Nigerian Broadcasting Code during an interview with the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba Ahmed.
Baba-Ahmed in the interview had faulted the emergence of the former Lagos governor as the president-elect and asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kayode Ariwoola, not to swear him in on May 29.
Tinubu, Onanuga and supporters of the APC accused the Labour Party Vice presidential candidate of making several comments in the Channels TV interview that attacked the integrity of the 25th February 2023 presidential elections.
Taking action on Tinubu camp’s petition, the NBC on Friday fined Channels TV N5 million.
Reacting to the development, Akinnola said his “friend” was intolerant and has authoritarian tendencies.
Below is the full content of his open letter:
My dear Bayo,
I hope you are now happy and satisfied, that the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) has sanctioned CHANNELS with a N5 million fine, following your petition over the Datti Ahmed’s interview on CHANNELS.
Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Dr Olu Onagoruwa ( both of blessed memories) were the best of friends for several years but that friendship was truncated when the latter decided to join the Abacha junta as the Attorney-General, churning out despicable Decrees. Their relationship ended and Gani publicly upbraided his erstwhile friend.
You and l have been friends for several years, fought many battles together against the military, particularly against their onslaught on the free press. I therefore feel terribly pained that l have to publicly upbraid you for your recent public statements, particularly your petition against CHANNELS tv, to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Et tu, Bayo? I’m still trying to wrap my heads round your sudden 360 degrees against all you fought for under the military. You are yet to be in government and you have started exhibiting intolerance against the independent media, the same thing you fought for all your years, like Dr Onagoruwa did. I’m sure your principal, who has been a lover of free press, would be embarrassed by your position.
I watched the interview under reference and l must say, you are VERY UNFAIR to Seun Okinbaloye, the anchor man who repeatedly cautioned Datti Ahmed for making some seemingly inciting comments, to the anger and discomfiture of Datti Ahmed. So, in all conscience, what then is the basis of your petition to the NBC? Can you compare that to your recent incendiary post against an ethnic group? Why are you making enemies for your principal, instead of friends, in a country so polarized? While your principal is preaching unity and healing, you are busy trying to make more enemies for him. Yesterday, it was ARISE, today, it is CHANNELS. Is that a foretaste of what to experience in the incoming government? So, we should be fixated on NTA and TVC, isn’t that what you are trying to tell proverbially? To say that I’m totally embarrassed by your silly conduct, would be stating it mildly.
For eight years, despite all vitriolic attacks on the president, Femi Adesina, as Special Adviser, Media to the president, did not petition against any medium but you wey never enter, don dey censor the media. What a shame! I can expect the disaster that awaits us if you become the presidential spokesperson. Do l subscribe to unfettered press freedom? No. I believe every freedom comes with responsibility. However, when you create a perception that the incoming government would be intolerant of the free press, we need to sound the alarm bell.
My dear Bayo, it is often said that until a man tastes power or has access to money, you can’t judge his character. That may not be totally true because one of our mutual friends, Tunji Bello, has tasted both but has been his normal self that l have known for over three decades. His decent character has not changed, in and out of government. So, could it be that your real character is just unfolding? Just because you are now at the periphery of power, you are ready to obliterate all the values and principles you held all these years. What a shame!
TAKE NOTICE that we would fight this your planned “insurrection” against the independent media the way we, including you, fought Abacha’s dictatorship against the media.
RICHARD AKINNOLA
Postscriptum: Before l wrote this open letter, l had informed some of our mutual friends, so that they won’t feel embarrassed.
“Postscriptum: Before l wrote this open letter, l had informed some of our mutual friends, so that they won’t feel embarrassed.”
WHY WOULD YOU HAVE SOUGHT CLEARANCE FORM YOUR COURT OF FRIENDS IF YOU DID WHAT YOU DID IN GOOD FAITH AND WITH GOOD CONSCIENCEON A SOUND GROUND. THIS GAVE YOU OUT AS ANOTHER obirodent AND AGENT WITH PROPAGANDA ARM OF THE OPPOSITION PARTIES WHO STILL SULKS AND WAILS AND YET TO RECOVER FROM WHAT JOLTED YOU ALL IN THE OPPOSITION CAMP OF EVIL ANTAGONISTS.
If Channels TV did right the NBC would not have found it guilty for the offence of the petition by Bayo Onanuga and would not have been fined.
I HAVE LONG REACHED THE CONLUSION THAT THE ELITES IN NIGERIA ARE PART AND PARCEL OF THE BANES THAT BEDEVILED THE NATION.
Richard Akinola, it only goes to show that your participation in the struggle for democracy carries an ulterior motive for a given ulterior gains and or returns.
YOUR ARGUEMENT WAS VERTY FEEBLE ILLOGICAL AND UNSOUND.
When Seun Okinbaloye rebuked the SORE SOUR loser on their platform whose vitriols and visceral spleens against the nation was carried conveyed and whose media organization as a vessel to issue terrorists views to and against the nation. Did he stop the program and the warped evil opinions of Datti Baba-Ahmed from reaching Nigerians.
WITH A FRIEND LIKE YOUR HORRIBLE PARTISAN HACK, Bayo Onanuga MAY NOT BE IN FURTHER NEED FOR AN ENEMY.
Today, we are witnessing FAKE democracy participants who are being unraveled on a daily basis. God is working on Nigeria revealing FAKE agitators for democracy. People who claimed to be democrats calling for the cancellation of an election that went through all ramifications and in accordance with the statutes for the purpose.
A MAN CONTESTED WON AN ELECTION AND PEOPLE LIKE Richard Akinola WHO CLAIMED FALSELY TO HAVE FOUGHT FOR DEMCRACY NOW ALIGNS AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF SORE SOUR LOSERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE EXERCISE AND LATER TURNED AROUND TO CALL AND ASPIRE FOR THE CANCELLATION OF THE EXERCISE SIMPLE BECAUSE THEY LOST WOEFULLY TO THE MASTER TACTICIAN WITH POLITICAL STRATEGEM OF THE BEST KIND. Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu HAS WORKED AND PLANNED TO BE PRESIDENT OVER DECADES AND COMPARE WITH OPPORTUNIST BIGOTS WJO WOKE UP YESTERDAY TO ASPIER TO BE PRESIDENT OF Nigeria. WITH WHAT SENSE WOULD THEY HAVE CLAIMED THE MANDATE FREELY AND FAIRLY GIVEN TO THE WINNER.
Would a Richard Akinola and his cohorts in the bandit camp of mediocre have preferred and allow Nigeria be given to and presided over by an UNPREPARED candidate and at this crossroads and a moment in the annals of Nigerian political chaos.
Bayo Onanuga EXERCISED PROFESSED AND MANIFESTED HIS PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES BY PETITIONING AND WAS NOT THE JUDGE AND OR ARBITRATOR IN THE CASE.
Case closed.