Nigerian media promoting only APC, PDP – Ex-Presidential candidate

A former presidential candidate of the Kowa Party in the 2015 election, Remi Sonaiya, has passed a damning assessment of the Nigerian media, describing a section of the practitioners as “projectors” of only the top political parties.

Mrs Sonaiya, who spoke with CAMPUS REPORTER on Friday accused some Nigerian media houses of failure to understand their roles in reporting to restore normalcy to the country.

She said most media practitioners serve as projectors of either People Democratic Party (PDP) or the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to the exclusion of the other political parties.

“The media seems not to understand the critical role they are supposed to play as vital stakeholders in the Nigerian project. They are so concentrated on reporting the two major political parties.

“Several times, Kowa Party will invite the media for a conference and other reasonable things, and they will not show up.

“But when PDP or APC is doing something, they will run there. Of course, because they will get more money.”

Mrs Sonaike said if the media see themselves as a critical interest group in the polity, they will know it is their duty to let Nigerians know what options they have in the political space.

She lamented that the attempt to change all the evil things happening to Nigeria and around the world would be impossible if the journalists who are supposed to educate the people do not even recognise their primary duties.

On Thursday’s Lagos tanker fire accident, Mrs Sonaike blamed it on indiscipline on the part of the government and lack of a well-structured system to bury this indiscipline.

“If those in government over years were disciplined enough to restrict the movement of trucks and tankers, she said the roads would not always serve as death traps for citizens.

“Sometimes when these trucks are on the roads, you see sparks. Some of them do not even understand the side of the road they belong. You see them fighting for space on the road with cars. The trucks, tankers, and others should have their lane and be restricted to some places because they are highly inflatable,” she said.

She said the problem with the country was having ineffective laws or laws that cannot be implemented.

Mrs Sonaiya said many of the businessmen in the country with trucks and tankers that destroy lives and property cannot be disconnected from the corrupt practices and failure of the government to do what is right.