The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress has slammed ARISE TV journalist, Reuben Abati, over his attempt to deny his ties to Nigeria’s main opposition party, PDP, despite vying for office on the party’s platform as a deputy governor candidate to the late Burji Kashamu who was wanted in the US and other countries over drug-related offences.
The party’s criticism was contained in a response to Nduka Obaigbena, a media proprietor and owner of ThisDay newspaper and Arise Tv, who recently sparked controversy with an uncorroborated allegation that the ruling party plotted to ‘silence independent media coverage’ of the election campaign.
The APC-PCC had in a statement jointly signed by Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake, two media veterans serving in the campaign council, dismissed what it considered Obaigbena’s attempt to posture as an ethical media professional by calling attention to his long, questionable links to the PDP, including the receipt of back-channel payments – some of which became subjects of EFCC investigations.
The party also pointed to Obaigbena’s preference for media actors with established ties to the PDP, including Reuben Abati, one of the lead hosts of its morning belt, who ran on the party’s platform in Ogun state as a Deputy Governor candidate.
In an attempt to refute the allegation, Abati delivered a long rant on the morning show during which he accused the APC-PCC of distorting his records and political involvement. He denied membership of the PDP and proclaimed his fidelity to objective and ethical practice.
But in another response aimed at Obaigbena primarily, Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake rubbished Abati’s defence, querying how he could have run on the party’s governorship ticket without being a member as required by law.
“We took notice of Reuben Abati’s ramblings on Arise TV on his Wednesday Morning Show where he laboured in vain to defend his despicable record and perversions,” the statement read in part.
“Abati queried our statement that he is a registered member of PDP. The query is rather for him. How did he become a deputy governorship candidate to Late Senator Buruji Kashamu in 2019 without a membership of PDP as required by law?”
“We really do not expect much from Abati. He is a known pathological liar, who has lived on lies and deceit all his professional life. While he has successfully created the image of a conscentious public intellectual over the years, the fact is that he is a morally bankrupt man who has no scruples in selling his soul to the devil as long as money is involved.”
“Abati has very odious reputation with the corporate and political circles as “anything goes newspaper columnist” as long as the money is right,” it concluded.
Before running on the governorship ticket of the PDP in Ogun State, Abati also served as spokesperson of former president Goodluck Jonathan during which he defended the records of the PDP and tried unsuccessfully to prolong the party’s hold on power in 2015.