…Atiku media office insisted that the comment should not be dismissed as mere banter.
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times| The Atiku media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to issue a public apology over alleged threatening remarks directed at Channels Television presenter, Seun Okinbaloye.
In a statement released on Saturday in Abuja, the Atiku Media Office described the minister’s comments as reckless and unacceptable, warning that such rhetoric from a public official poses a serious threat to press freedom and democratic values.
The statement further argued that Wike’s remarks reflect what it termed a growing intolerance for dissent under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“For a serving minister of the Federal Republic to publicly declare on live television that he wished to shoot a journalist over a professional opinion is not just reckless, it is a chilling signal of how far this government has descended into intolerance, lawlessness, and abuse of power,” the statement read.
The Atiku media office insisted that the comment should not be dismissed as mere banter, stressing that it amounted to a disturbing threat against a journalist carrying out his professional responsibilities.
It added that such language from public officials sends a dangerous signal about the state of democracy, warning that normalising threats against journalists could embolden further attacks on press freedom.
The statement also questioned the basis of the alleged remark, noting that Okinbaloye had merely expressed concerns about the possibility of a one-party state.
The Atiku Media Office therefore demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from Wike to the journalist and the wider Nigerian media community.
It also urged the Tinubu administration to publicly distance itself from the remarks and reaffirm its commitment to protecting journalists and upholding democratic principles.
