ABUJA/Nigeria: Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has made startling claims, accusing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of orchestrating a comprehensive and ominous plan to stifle media freedom in anticipation of the release of records pertaining to his criminal investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In a statement issued yesterday, Shaibu conveyed his belief that the Tinubu administration, deeply embroiled in the Chicago State University scandal, is gearing up for a substantial offensive in the imminent days.
Shaibu further asserted that the recent threat by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to penalize Arise Television News represents merely the tip of the iceberg. He alleged that the NBC has been closely monitoring Tinubu’s media platforms, such as Television Continental (TVC), which have consistently launched scathing attacks on Atiku while refusing to broadcast opposition perspectives.
Highlighting the situation’s evolution, Shaibu remarked, “Back in February, the NBC made an attempt at impartiality by fining TVC for unprofessional broadcasts, including the airing of the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council press briefing where Festus Keyamo accused Obasanjo and Atiku of running a criminal enterprise and an empire of fraud in Abuja.”
“However,” he continued, “since Tinubu assumed the presidency on May 29, the NBC has taken on a more partisan stance. Its Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah, appears to be bending to the whims of the APC and its leader in the Presidential Villa.”
Shaibu claimed that the NBC has now become an integral part of a grand conspiracy to stifle media coverage of Tinubu’s certificate scandal. Frustrated by their inability to sway public opinion, they are now attempting to employ the state’s power to silence the media. Shaibu found this especially disconcerting, given Tinubu’s prior claims of being a hero of the June 12 struggle.
He urged the Nigerian media not to waver during this critical period, asserting that the impending release of FBI documents this month will uncover the details of an investigation linking Bola Tinubu to heroin trafficking. Disseminating this information should not be left solely to social media; the media must fulfill its constitutionally mandated role as the guardian of society, as outlined in Section 22 of the 1999 constitution.
Shaibu went on to condemn the purported double standards of the Tinubu government and the APC-led Senate. He cited the example of Stella Okotete, a ministerial nominee from Delta State and a director at NEXIM Bank, who faced denial of ministerial confirmation over alleged certificate forgery. Despite her efforts to defend herself, her case was probed thoroughly.
Shaibu questioned why the standards for the President of Nigeria appeared to be lower than those for a ministerial nominee or a young individual like Mmesoma Ejikeme, who had forged her JAMB results through a third-party vendor.
Shaibu stated, “Okotete claimed to have graduated from Benson Idahosa University in 2007 with a second class lower grade in International Studies and Diplomacy and completed the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kebbi State in 2009. However, amid allegations of certificate forgery, the Senate refused to confirm her while authorities continued to investigate her. However, in the case of Tinubu, who holds the highest office in the land, they want Nigerians to overlook it. They are asking Nigerians to focus on governance instead.”
He concluded by expressing his bewilderment at the apparent lowering of the bar for the presidential office and the hypocrisy surrounding the defense of certificate forgery by individuals who would not hire third-tier graduates in their private enterprises.
