Ahead of 2023 general elections, media organisations and civil society organisations have been urged not to yield to the willful directives of some politicians in the country by attacking the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR), in a statement by its coordinator, Nduka Edede Chinomso, on Tuesday, described as “unhealthy” in political space for reputable media organisations to be attacking Emefiele’s personality.
ACJHR, in its reaction to a publication by a national daily (not Daily Trust) claimed the media establishment attacked the personality of the apex bank boss and those who have been calling on him to contest the 2023 presidential election.
The statement read, “We know of a fact that because the publisher of a national newspaper has declared his intention to run for Presidency, the newspaper can never see or say anything good about anybody who may be a threat to his ambition.
“But we expect the newspaper to dwell on issues ahead of the election instead of resorting to media attacks. The newspaper is free to sell its candidate while it is also within the fundamental human rights of the individuals and groups that have been canvassing for Emefiele to also do so.
“It amounts to an abuse of privilege if the national newspaper decides to turn itself to the campaign arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and begin to run down perceived opponents of its publisher and jettisoning its core responsibility.
“We wonder why the newspaper has not been turning down the adverts running into millions of naira so far placed by those who have been appealing to Emefiele to run.
“We view it as a case of double-speaking and double-faced for a newspaper to in one hand smile to the bank as a result of adverts being collected and yet on the other hand be attacking those providing the adverts.
“The management of the newspaper is therefore urged to retrace its steps from this inglorious path of perdition before it is too late.”
