Bwala, Atiku’s spokesman, accuses APC campaign council of attacking democrary, free press

The recent call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for the dismissal of Arise TV reporter, Rufai Oseni, and ThisDay editor, Shaka Momodu, has generated reactions in the polity.

Daniel Bwala, spokesperson for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, accused the ruling party of blackmailing and silencing the press.

Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for the APC campaign council, had in a statement demanded the sack of the duo over alleged attacks on its presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

However, in a statement titled “Tinubu and ThisDay/Arise Media Group and the Attack on Free Speech”, the Boards of Editors of Arise Television and ThisDay said they would not give in to pressure from the ruling party.

Bwala, who reacted to the development in a series of tweets on Tuesday, described the ruling party as attacker of democrary and free press.

Read also:Atiku’s spokesman, Bwala, knocks Tinubu for avoiding questions at Chatham House

The PDP chieftain said the APC Campaign Council was feeling frustrated.

He wrote: “Democracy and free press is under attack by those who claimed they fought for them. If they can dare that when they need your votes, imagine how your life would come under their brutal rule. If they come to power. A stitch in time saves nine.

“When they made him (Dele Alake) director of media and strategic communications, you didn’t realize what that meant; to strategically blackmail and silence the press; the very institution that made him.

“Frustrated by utter failure in their Chatham house comedy skits, and possible denial of entry to the United States, they decided to unleash democratic mayhem on anyone at sight. Their first casualty is Arise TV and Thisday. A stitch in time saves nine.

“At first their spokespersons thought they could bully the press, each time they appeared and were fact-checked they would blackmail the press. As their spokespersons were chased out of the space with facts, they decided to send unknown false men. These too are being checked.”

By Ambali Abdulkabeer

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