Nigerians on social media have reacted after Arise TV discontinued an interview with Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following a tense exchange during the station’s morning programme.
Olayinka appeared on the programme on Friday morning, where he was questioned by the presenters, including Rufai Oseni, on issues surrounding his principal and current political developments.
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The interview reportedly became heated after Olayinka declined to respond to questions posed by Oseni, leading the programme to discontinue the conversation.
The development quickly generated reactions on X, with users divided between those who criticised Olayinka’s conduct and others who blamed the television station for inviting him onto the programme.
One user, @theboyisgreat, questioned the decision to continue featuring Olayinka on the programme, saying: “I really hope after today, AriseTV will do well in verifying the mental health of all their guests before platforming them.”
Another user, @dr ben, who said he watched the interview live, expressed disappointment over Olayinka’s appearance, writing: “I watched it live this morning.. I was ashamed what he was spilling.”
Reacting to the exchange, @Mbnworah questioned Olayinka’s professionalism as a media aide and image handler, while also linking his conduct to Wike’s style of engaging with journalists.
Meanwhile, @seanelhadja criticised Arise TV for inviting Olayinka back to the programme, arguing that the station should have reconsidered the decision based on what allegedly happened during a previous appearance.
The user, however, praised one of the presenters for ending the encounter, saying the host was “very professional enough to quickly disengage him.”
Another commentator, @Chima, blamed the television station for inviting Olayinka, arguing that programmes should focus on politicians and individuals with direct influence over the issues being discussed.
Similarly, @korie said Olayinka’s conduct should not have come as a surprise given his position as Wike’s aide. The user also called on television stations to establish clearer criteria for selecting guests for political programmes.
