The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has joined their voice to those of others in condemning the suspension of the licences of AIT and Raypower by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
According to a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, national publicity secretary of the party, he alleged that the suspension was aimed at “intimidating and gaging the media, repress constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and stifle public opinion, particularly as related to the determination by Nigerians to retrieve the stolen Presidential mandate at the tribunal.”
Continuing, he added that the ruling party, APC, was aware of the decision, hinging his reason on the fact that Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, director-general of the NBC, “is a card carrying member and frontline leader in the APC who was also an aspirant on the platform of the party for the governorship of Kwara state.”
“This clamp down on AIT as well as earlier siege on other media houses and journalists under the APC administration, ostensibly point to a plot to frighten and asphyxiate the media, shut down outlets perceived to hold dissenting views and ultimately foist a siege mentality on our citizenry to restrain their demand for fairness and justice in the polity,” he claimed.
“The APC is mortally afraid that a free press will raise the red flag and expose its manipulations and any attempt to subvert the course of justice, especially in the Presidential petition, hence this desperation to strangulate the media and cow Nigerians from freely expressing themselves.”
He therefore urged Nigerians and members of the international community to condemn “this desperation to gag the media and repress free speech in Nigeria.”
Founded by High Chief Raymond Alegho Dokpesi as Nigeria’s first private radio and television stations as well as the first to run for 24 hours, Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT and Raypower, was yesterday shut down by the NBC for allegedly running foul of some of the laws guiding them.
But swiftly, condemnation has been trailing that. The Nigerian Guild of Editors and Nigerian Union of Journalists have also kicked against the suspension.