Edo APC Knocks Arise TV’s Rufai For Demanding Interview With Guber Candidate, Okpebhelo

The Edo APC New Media Directorate has strongly condemned the recent actions and statements by Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, over the station’s portrayal of its guber candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

The party descibed the stations portrayal of its candidate as “a misleading infographic” to depict the party’s candidate as “running” from an interview.”

The APC reacted through a press statement signed by Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah, the Director of the Party’s New Media Directorate.

The statement said that Rufai’s action is a deliberate attempt to smear Senator Okpebholo’s reputation which it described as not only unprofessional but “reeks of a biased agenda designed to belittle our candidate.”

The statement continued, “Let us make it clear: Senator Okpebholo has no obligation to grant an interview to a platform that has already shown its hand in trying to ridicule him. Rufai Oseni’s claim that his invitation to our candidate is being “politicized” is nothing but a diversion from the real issue—his lack of impartiality and professional ethics.

“Rufai Oseni has compared Senator Okpebholo’s decision to decline an interview with Arise TV to other candidates who have appeared on the station. However, the circumstances are different. We cannot ignore the fact that Oseni’s tone and approach have consistently been confrontational when addressing issues related to the APC. It is therefore not surprising that Senator Okpebholo would choose to avoid an interview that seems to have been set up as a trap rather than an opportunity for genuine discourse.

“If Arise TV and Rufai Oseni are so eager to have Senator Okpebholo on their platform, perhaps they should consider compensating him with a sum of $1 million. Only then might he entertain the notion of subjecting himself to what we can only describe as an act of media bullying. The integrity and principles of our candidate are not for sale, but such an offer might at least demonstrate a seriousness on their part that has thus far been sorely lacking.

Further advising Rufai, the party said, “We advise Rufai Oseni to revisit the ethics of his profession and refrain from further attempts to manipulate public perception for personal or political gain. His assertion that interviewing the APC candidate is “no big deal” is an understatement; it is a big deal when the interviewer is already seen as biased and partial.

“To the general public, we urge caution in consuming content from media outlets that prioritize sensationalism over substance. Senator Monday Okpebholo continues to engage with the people of Edo State directly, sharing his vision and policies for the future. He will not be deterred by attempts to undermine his campaign through media antics.”

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