Sahara Reporters: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
By: Harold Adebola Smith
haroldadebolasmith@gmail.com

The history-breaking phenomenon that took over the floor of the 8th Senate on the 9th June 2015 can never be best described than an “amazing outsmarting and outmaneuvering” of Goliath by a David in the Nigerian contemporary political context. Till this moment, this intra-party trouncing against a section of the leadership structure of the APC has hitherto not released many people of different calibers, most particularly the political watchers, from its surprising grip.

It has, in fact, remained a famous talking point and debate of some sort and has been regarded as the major cause of all internal disputes rocking the ruling party of Nigeria - The APC - in recent time, and equally the cause of all intrigues facing the leadership of the National Assembly. Devoid of illusions, subsequent happenings in the political stream of our country have fully informed us that all predicaments Senate President Bukola Saraki has faced so far is as a result of his refusal to allow the ‘will of his party’ on the choice of the leadership of the Senate prevail.

It is a thing of overwhelming joy that the Change government of President Muhammadu Buhari is seen to be handcuffing corruption frontally. What is bothersome however, is the selective complexion that some of the processes have taken; as actions of conspiracy and political witch-hunts can be seen in the mix of actual fact-based allegations of corruption. Aside the controversies in the judicial process, the role played so far by the media cannot be said to be holistically sincere.

An online media platform, Sahara Reporters has, since it commenced its business of socio-political criticisms, attained the position of dictator-in-chief of what the Nigerian social-media enthusiasts accept as genuine information about any political matter. On the Senate President, since his emergence on June 9th, Sahara Reporters particularly has declared a state of emergency regarding Saraki’s leadership, given their barrage of ceaseless attacks, all falsehoods and anchored on denigration and calumny.

Before any analysis, it is imperative that Sahara Reporters get tutored for its crassness and brazen disregard for basic journalistic professionalism, tenets that guide the proper conduct of the line of work they pretend to belong to. Chris Ekemezie, a legal practitioner, as published by the Leadership Newspapers, recently stated that “The ethos of the justice delivery system is that people do not comment or give opinion on matters sub-judice lest it may tinker with the reasoning of the judicial officer”.

From this substantial violation of the rule of the game to other defamations this news platform has continued to peddle to high heavens, it is no more news that Sahara Reporters has become a prime abuser of the constitutionally guaranteed right of citizens to the 'Freedom of Speech.'

The first mockery that Sahara Reporters brought upon itself in the series of atrocious practices (in which case has been established as a criminal offense) is the forgery of Saraki’s International Passport. The passport, with the name OLYBUKOLA SARAKI, and number 306077175 was published by this online platform allegedly as evidence of Saraki’s dual citizenship, which was to disqualify him from holding public office in Nigeria. However, it was double humiliation for Sahara Reporters after an official reprobation by the UK authorities stated that the passport was indeed a blatant forgery, how Facebook rubbished this mischievous platform on a global stage, by rightly taking down the forged passport from her page and threatening to delete its account.

On the allegation of false declaration of assets before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the blatant manner in which Sahara Reporters preempted judgment of the Court of Appeal - that was scheduled to rule on the technical aspects of the case - has never stopped being worrisome. It is also completely baffling to comprehend how Sahara Reporters broke the information that Saraki was under trial by the CCT - when the case first began - even when he was yet to be served the court papers intimating him of any trial. Curiously, this obviously indicates that the operators of the CCT are using questionable platforms like Sahara Reporters to achieve their aims.

On the CCT case, Ekemezie maintained that in the wake of charges filed against the Senate President before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Sahara Reporters had reported that Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja, before whom Saraki is challenging his arraignment, is ‘‘a judge for hire’’. It went further to insinuate that another matter against Saraki before the same judge earlier in the year was struck out because he had ‘settled’ the judge.

The insinuation is, at best, wicked and malicious. What Sahara Reporters did not tell the general public who reserve the right to be rightly informed is that the Attorney General of the Federation gave a Legal Advice in that matter that Bukola Saraki had no case to answer. A court has no powers to continue to try a case wherein the Attorney General has exercised powers vested on him by section 174 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and entered ‘‘nolle prosequi”. Sahara Reporters article on Justice Mohammed is not only a figment of its warped imagination but a deliberate and calculated attempt to malign and intimidate the judicial officer.

Another weird noise by these agents of disunity called Sahara Reporters and its allies is the purported report of a state-based tribunal case challenging Saraki's victory at the last elections. Perhaps the publisher of this online news wasn’t aware that Saraki did not only win the last election, but delivered his state completely to the APC in a notably free, fair and credible manner. However, the tribunal has ruled and that should be enough a shut-up slap to the reporters from Sahara.

As it is no more hidden that Sahara Reporters will never cease to go the extra mile in satisfying the whims of its sponsors, the newest spiteful attack on a man of high repute and honour; a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, is a rude transgression on the judiciary of this country. Having felt, perhaps, that Saraki is already on the verge of winning the CCB case, Sahara Reporters concocted another falsehood - it's modus operandi - that Justice Belgore (Rtd.) is trying to induce the Court of Appeal to quash the trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. This clueless slander is frankly an unpalatable offence committed against a noble and widely respected man who has served this nation marvelously as one of the sustainers of her judicial system.

Needless to say, in an attempt to bring down Saraki at all costs, Sahara Reporters, which is completely bereft of the basic ethics of sincere journalism by the numerous antics of politricks is, presently operating a desperate service at a desperate time using the most desperate of measures: lies.

SR


stop SR before SR stop you.

guess they are real bias

but can we totally write them off? isn't there an iota of truth in some of their reporting?

what i believe is that the law must take its course.

OK o

People still read SR? The News Network still playing opposition to a now opposition party despite its paymasters being the ruling party!


SMH!