It Was Disgraceful — Amadi, Osuntokun Blast Wike’s Aide Over Arise TV Clash

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, and Arise News Political Director, Akin Osuntokun, have criticised the spokesman for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka, following a heated television interview that ended abruptly on Friday.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the two commentators faulted Olayinka’s handling of the encounter, arguing that he should have used the platform to clearly communicate the position of his principal, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, rather than allowing the disagreement with the programme’s anchor to dominate the interview.

The controversy occurred during an edition of The Morning Show when anchor Rufai Oseni asked Olayinka to clarify Wike’s position on the disagreement surrounding membership of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council.

Olayinka declined to respond to the question from Oseni and reportedly said he preferred to engage with “reasonable human beings.”

His remark immediately triggered a reaction from another presenter, Ayo Mairo, who defended Oseni and maintained that the anchor was entitled to participate in the programme.

The exchange subsequently became heated before the interview was brought to an end.

Reacting to the incident, Amadi described Olayinka’s performance as disgraceful, arguing that the spokesman missed an opportunity to explain and defend the FCT minister’s position to a wider audience.

Amadi noted that public officials and their representatives should understand that television appearances provide an opportunity to communicate directly with the public, persuade viewers and shape public opinion.

He maintained that Olayinka appeared more focused on confronting the presenter than communicating his principal’s position on the political issue that had prompted the interview.

According to Amadi, government representatives appearing on television should concentrate on explaining policies and political positions instead of turning media engagements into personal confrontations.

He also cautioned journalists to maintain professionalism while questioning public officials, stressing that presenters should scrutinise claims without allowing themselves to become central participants in political disagreements.

Amadi said the incident could have been handled differently by both sides and urged public officials and journalists to exercise restraint during live broadcasts.

Osuntokun also faulted Olayinka’s approach to the interview, although he acknowledged that the spokesman was not compelled to answer a question he did not wish to address.

He argued that Olayinka had the right to decide what questions to answer but criticised the manner in which he communicated his position during the encounter.

According to Osuntokun, the spokesman’s choice of words was unfortunate and ultimately failed to strengthen the position he was attempting to defend.

He further warned that such conduct could create a negative precedent for how public officials and their representatives engage with the media.

Osuntokun added that Olayinka’s approach was not beneficial to Wike, whose interests he was representing during the television appearance.