Media Stakeholders Wade Into Arise TV, APC Conflict

Media Stakeholders Wade Into Arise TV, APC Conflict

Media stakeholders have met with the leadership of Arise TV and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) that recently engaged in exchanges in the media.

The stakeholders include Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Life Patron and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers/NPAN Life Patron, Sam Amuka; President of NPAN, Kabiru Yusuf; President of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mustapha Isah and President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo.

At the meeting, Arise TV was represented by Mr. Nduka Obaigbena along with the Managing Director of ThisDay Newspapers, Eniola Bello, and Group Executive Director/ThisDay Ombudsman, Kayode Komolafe.

On the APC side were Director of Strategic Communications of the PCC, Mr. Dele Alake, and Chairman of The Nation Newspapers, Mr. Olawale Edun, who is also PCC member.

A statement signed by NPAN’s Yusuf, NUJ’s Isiguzo and NGE’s Isah noted that the meeting was at the instance of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO).

The meeting resolved that considering the fellowship among journalists and overall interest of press freedom in the country, the disagreement between the two parties should be settled amicably and without any preconditions.

“In the spirit of this gentlemanly agreement, the meeting decided that it was not necessary to issue a public statement. However, we are forced to rescind this stand when news reports began to appear that misrepresented what happened.

“We wish to draw the attention of our friends in the media and the public at large that the main parties in this dispute had agreed to let bygone be bygone and that any embellishment on the outcome of the meeting represents the figment of some people’s imagination,” they stated.

Also present at the meeting, which held at the residence of Chief Osoba, was Mr Gbenga Adefaye, the General Manager/Editor-in-chief of Vanguard Newspapers/Acting Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ).