Former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign, Segun Showunmi, has called for stricter regulation and renewed professionalism in Nigeria’s broadcast media.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) titled “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WHEN BROADCASTERS BECOME THE STORY”, Showunmi criticized what he described as the rising trend of provocation and bias among television anchors.
“When television anchors abandon professionalism for provocation, it becomes the duty of the station’s management to call them to order. But when that failure becomes routine, the National Broadcasting Commission must step in,” he said.
Showunmi urged the Ministry of Information and the NBC to act, warning that freedom of expression should not be mistaken for freedom to abuse. He stated that regulation protects national interest and professional integrity.
“What can be excused from a citizen’s podcast, we cannot and must not tolerate from a licensed national broadcaster,” he added, while accusing ARISE TV and its anchor, Rufai Oseni, of crossing professional boundaries.
Human rights activist Mahdi Shehu, however, criticised Showunmi’s comments, calling them hypocritical and an attempt to stifle press freedom.
The debate follows a heated live interview between Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and Rufai Oseni, over the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, which sparked public discussion about media conduct and accountability.
