Issue Public Apology to Okinbaloye or Face Boycott, Broadcasters Warn Wike

Issue Public Apology to Okinbaloye or Face Boycott, Broadcasters Warn Wike

The Independent Broadcast Association of Nigeria (IBAN) has demanded that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, publicly apologise to Channels Television journalist Seun Okinbaloye over a controversial remark, warning that failure to do so could trigger a boycott of all his media engagements.

The umbrella body for Nigeria’s independent broadcast stations expressed concern over comments Wike made during a live television interview on Friday, in which he said, “If there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him,” referring to Okinbaloye’s analysis on the state of Nigeria’s democracy during the program Politics Today.

Although Wike later clarified that the statement was not a literal threat and his aide, Lere Olayinka, described it as “hyperbolic” and “taken out of context,” IBAN insisted the remark was inappropriate for a public official.

In a statement signed by IBAN Chairman Ahmed Ramalan and Acting General Secretary Fidelis Duker, the association said: “Expressions suggesting violence can be interpreted as intimidation of journalists and contribute to a hostile environment for media practitioners.”

The group highlighted the already precarious state of press freedom in Nigeria, noting that the country ranks 122 out of 180 nations on the Press Freedom Index, with journalists routinely facing surveillance, attacks, and arbitrary arrests.

IBAN has urged Wike to retract his comment, issue a public apology to Okinbaloye and the broader media community, and reaffirm his commitment to press freedom as guaranteed under Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution.

The association added that independent broadcast stations may suspend coverage of all FCT ministerial briefings, press conferences, and media events if the demands are not met within a reasonable timeframe.

“Should the minister fail to meet these requests, IBAN will have no choice but to advise all independent broadcast stations to suspend coverage of his official engagements,” the statement read.

IBAN emphasized that the measure aims to protect journalists, discourage violent rhetoric, and maintain a safe working environment for media professionals, while remaining open to constructive dialogue with public officials.