Arise TV abruptly brought a live television interview to an end on Friday morning after a heated exchange erupted between Rufai Oseni, one of the anchors of The Morning Show, and Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Olayinka had appeared as a guest on the programme to discuss issues relating to the FCT and the activities of the ministerial administration.
He was interviewed by the programme’s three anchors Dr. Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni and Ayo Mairo-Ese.
The interview initially proceeded normally before tensions rose when Oseni took his turn to question the FCT minister’s media aide.
Rather than directly responding to Oseni’s question, Olayinka appeared to challenge the anchor’s manner of questioning and indicated that he was unwilling to engage with him.
The situation quickly became tense as Olayinka said he had only agreed to participate in the programme to answer questions from what he described as “reasonable people.”
Addressing Oseni directly, he said: “I am very sorry to say this Rufai but I do not want to answer any question from you. I want this conversation to be among reasonable human beings, people who will not come and describe other people as Gbewu dani. I want this discussion to be among reasonable people.”
The statement immediately drew a strong reaction from the other presenters, particularly Ayo Mairo-Ese, who defended her colleague and challenged Olayinka over his refusal to respond to Oseni’s questions.
Mairo-Ese pointed out that Olayinka was aware before accepting the invitation that he would be interviewed by all three presenters on the programme.
She maintained that appearing on the show meant he was expected to respond to questions from any of the anchors participating in the interview.
The exchange continued to deteriorate, with Olayinka maintaining his position that he did not want to answer Oseni’s questions.
Mairo-Ese subsequently thanked him for appearing on the programme and brought the interview to an abrupt end.
The development effectively ended Olayinka’s appearance on the live broadcast, with the programme moving away from the contentious exchange.
The incident has since generated reactions among viewers and social media users, with opinions divided over the conduct of both the guest and the television presenters.
While some viewers criticised Olayinka for refusing to answer questions and for directing an insulting remark at Oseni during a live broadcast, others argued that the media aide was justified in objecting to what he considered inappropriate or disrespectful questioning.
The confrontation also renewed discussions about the often-tense relationship between political media aides and television journalists, particularly during live interviews where guests are expected to respond to probing questions from presenters.
Political officials and their representatives frequently appear on television programmes to explain or defend government policies and actions. Such appearances can sometimes become contentious when presenters ask questions that guests consider uncomfortable or critical.
In this case, however, the disagreement escalated to the point where the interview could no longer continue.
Olayinka is a prominent media figure who has served in different government communication roles and is currently associated with the office of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Oseni, meanwhile, is one of the prominent anchors of Arise TV’s The Morning Show, where he regularly participates in interviews and discussions on politics and other national issues.
The circumstances surrounding the disagreement are expected to continue attracting public attention, particularly because the exchange occurred during a live broadcast and was abruptly terminated on air.
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