The People’s Redemption Party (PRP) has berated media organisations in Nigeria over what it called the preferential treatment of four political parties over 14 others, who are referred to as ‘other political parties’.
LEADERSHIP reports that there are 18 registered political parties, but four of them, All Progressives Congress (APC) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP) are frequently regarded as the frontliners by the media.
But, dissatisfied with the media categorisation, PRP said it observed with dismay, the obvious bias by different media platforms in their categorisation and recognition of political parties and their presidential candidates while covering political activities towards the 2023 General Election.
In a press release issued by the spokesperson of the Kola Abiola Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Illyasu Gadu, dated August 27, 2022, PRP noted that although the start of campaign for the presidential election still remains September 28 2022, it, however, accused notable media houses, “and in particular, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA)” of already deciding the presidential candidates that deserve recognitions as special guests, notable candidates and even front runners in the general election cmpaigns.
“This to us, is pre-empting the campaign processes, a politically fraudulent but calculated steps at misleading the innocent masses of this great nation into thinking, yet again, that their choices are limited to the few candidates now being glorified by the NTA and others like it, as Special Guests of Honours.
“For instance, an invitation from the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to our Presidential Candidate, Mr. Kola Abiola dated 15 August 2022, in a purported collaboration with a political organization, addressed 4 Political Parties Candidates as Special Guests while referring to the rest candidates and their parties as “others” thereby making NTA sentimental, biased and unworthy of further recognition as a platform for National orientation,” the statement said.
PRP said, by calling the APC, the ruling party first, when it does not come first in alphabetical order of INEC’s listing of political parties further give NTA away as tactically campaigning for the APC to the disadvantage of others.
“Referring to the 4 listed party logos as Frontline Political Parties is an aberration against the forthcoming election and the NTA must apologise to our Candidate, the PRP and Nigerians at large.
“Further, our organization noted that in the news content, features, analyses, interviews and other related areas of media engagements since political
parties ended their primaries, the Nigerian media have specifically restricted their coverage and mentions to these 4 political parties: the All Progressive Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP), while others are considered as other Political Parties.
“This is a political statement that must now be arrested. The sacred duty of the NBC is here called to question should this abnormality be allowed to continue to fester as it bears maximally against the right of Nigerians to choose their next President without these unholy influences of the media.
“Accordingly, while condemning these untoward practices, we hereby call on the NBC to arrest this unwholesome trend and prevent the Nigeria media from this obvious partisan path it is tolling and return to its well-known and acknowledged path of professionalism and integrity in covering political activities and tendencies without fear or favour.
“As Nigeria prepares for the 2023 General Election in which the media as usual will be expected to play a critical role in the success of the elections, it is pertinent for the media to treat all party candidates equally with fairness and respect to avoid brewing believes that the Nigeria media might have been compromised towards ultimately comprising the 2023 General Election,” the statement added.
