The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised Seun Okinbaloye, a journalist with Channels Television, over comments made during a live programme on the state of Nigeria’s opposition politics.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, Wike said he was angered by remarks made by Okinbaloye on Thursday’s edition of Politics Today, where the anchor raised concerns about Nigeria drifting towards a one-party state.
had expressed worry that the crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could weaken opposition participation in the 2027 general elections.
“I’m particularly very pained because what makes the race interesting is when it’s competitive, not when only one party stands in the middle of the ballot,” Okinbaloye said during the broadcast. “If the ADC, one of the only hopes of the opposition, cannot contest in 2027, we are doomed democratically.”
Reacting, Wike accused the journalist of abandoning neutrality and taking a position on a politically sensitive issue.
“I was surprised yesterday, thoroughly surprised,When I was watching Politics Today, Seun, if there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him. How can you, as an interviewer, say we cannot have only one party? You are now telling your own views,” Wike said.
The minister added that while journalists are free to ask probing questions, they must avoid making statements that suggest bias.
“There is nothing wrong with asking questions, but you are now making a statement on national television, which means you have already taken a position,” he said.
Wike later clarified that his remark was not a literal threat but an expression of frustration over what he described as a departure from journalistic objectivity.
The exchange has sparked conversations about media neutrality and political commentary, particularly amid ongoing debates over the strength of Nigeria’s opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.