‘Baseless allegation’ — APC campaign tackles THISDAY/Arise editors over ‘bullying press’ comment

Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council have taken a swipe at the editors of THISDAY/Arise Television.

The development comes hours after the editors accused the duo of trying to silence free and fair journalism.

The back-and-forth follows the refusal of Bola Tinubu, APC presidential candidate, to honour an invitation to attend a town hall series organised by Arise TV.

In a publication on Monday, the news organisations had also accused the Tinubu campaign of making requests for the removal of Shaka Momodu, THISDAY editor, and Rufai Oseni, The Morning Show co-host, from their current positions.

Responding in a statement, Onanuga and Alake criticised the editors, adding that their allegation that the APC campaign is attempting to bully the media is “baseless”.

“It is instructive that Obaigbena’s media group is isolated in making this frivolous allegation against the duo,” the statement reads.

“Not only does THISDAY newspaper publish unfounded rumours masquerading as truth, many of its columnists substitute vile and vulgar abuse for sound logic and informed analyses while its television anchors heckle and harass their guests, particularly those of the APC in their jaundiced, flagrantly unprofessional programmes.

“We recall that both THISDAY and ARISE Television sought to bully and compel the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, into attending its Town Hall meetings with presidential candidates, despite the media team’s explanation that it would not attend such programmes organised in a haphazard and uncoordinated manner by individual media houses.

“Each candidate’s campaign team has the right to adopt its own strategies for reaching out to and interacting with Nigerians.

“As we have repeatedly said, the Tinubu campaign will not succumb to the blackmail, intimidation and harassment of Obaigbena and his media group.”