You see, the slogan, Obi-Datti, is not something Nigerians will forget soon. Even Channels Television is getting a scent of the movement’s fragrance.
Obi-Datti represents the two presidential flag bearers of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed.
They had won the hearts of most young Nigerians who saw a future they desired in them. But they could not win the presidential election as presumed.
But they appear to have more years to push their desires.
While the love is still hot for Obi-Datti, Channels Television has got some trouble to sort out with the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC).
Trouble began on March 22, during one of Channels Television’s interview which featured Dr. Datti.
The vice presidential candidate of the Labour party was speaking on the aftermath of the presidential election of February 25.
He said on national television that it will be unconstitutional to swear in an elected president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, 2023.
Dr. Datti said the election irregularities were the reasons for his submission.
Now, that statement is drawing the award-winning news-focused television a fine of ₦5 million.
The ruling party had branded Datti’s statement one that had the tendency of causing riot.
Also, the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) says the Tv station violated the law when it aired that programme featuring Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
Provocative Broadcast
This information is included in a letter dated March 27 and sent to the television station’s CEO.
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The letter was received exclusively by The News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja.
The letter was written by Balarabe Ilelah, the director-general of the commission, and was titled “Broadcast of an Inciting Interview, A Sanction”.
Part of it read: “The NBC monitored the broadcast of a live interview of Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate for the Labour Party, by Politics Today host Seun Okibaloye on March 22”.
He pointed out that the broadcast broke various rules of the broadcasting code since it was provocative and might cause a riot.
“Channels Television is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a penalty of ₦5,000,000 (five million naira) just in the first instance for the following violations, he said.”
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He further stated that the television channel would face harsher penalties for any future violations.
“You are advised to pay within two weeks from the day of receipt of this letter or the penalty will be graduated,” the NBC Director-General said.
Tinubu’s Petition
The knowledge of this letter is coming to limelight after the President-elect, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu, had petitioned the NBC, requesting that it should sanction Channels Television for allegedly breaching the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
“In line with Section 14.0.1 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code 6th edition stating the duty of the National Broadcasting Commission to accept complaints from aggrieved persons, bodies or members of the public and investigate as well as apply sanctions where necessary, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council hereby petitions the Commission on what it considers breaches by CHANNELS TV last week on its programme ‘Politics Today’ which airs daily at 7:00pm on weekdays”, Tinubu said in the petition dated 30th March, 2023.
From the date of the petition by Tinubu, the sanction had already been issued before he made the request.
