By Josephine Uzorh
Former vice president, and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his disapproval over the recent clamp down on Africa Independent Television (AIT) by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The NBC suspended the license of AIT and Raypower FM on the grounds of a breach in the provision of the NBC Act.
This came after a ban on Kakaaki Social, a programme that runs on AIT with at least 16 million viewers.
Both media houses are subsidiaries of DAAR Communications Plc, owned by a perceived chieftain of PDP, Raymond Dokpesi.
This development has incited resentment, as many Nigerians have taken to the social media to express their anger, accusing the federal government of trying to shut down the opposition before the National Assembly inauguration, which is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, June 11 2019.
Atiku voiced his anger via his twitter handle.
“If, at this time, we stand by as the Press loses its independence, there will be little to differentiate us from a dictatorship. This should not happen,” he said.
The tension between DAAR Communications owner, Raymond Dokpesi and the federal government could be traced back to the 2015 elections, where AIT was accused of propagating antagonistic messages, and Dokpesi is still standing trial for supposedly collecting N2.1 billion from the office of the national security adviser (NSA).
On Friday, a federal high court in Abuja directed that the AIT and Ray Power stations be reopened.
Justice Inyang Ekwo had ruled that all parties in the suit instituted by DAAR Communications Plc against NBC on the suspension maintain the status quo ante as at May 30 pending hearing in the matter that comes up on June 13.
