₦airaland Forum

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the recent Presidential Media Chat participant selection, addressing public reactions about notable media personalities' absence from the event.

In a message shared on his X social media account, the former legislator responded to criticisms about the exclusion of certain journalists from the presidential engagement.

"Some people are not happy that Seun and Rufai were not invited to the President Media Chat. The program was called chat not interrogation," Sani stated.

They are all angry not invited to the chat

A mere chit-chat, a bulaba balablu chat, and the entire Tinubu's paid agents and BATerians are making a mountain out of it.

Nonsense

The truth is when journalists are invited to the State House to interview the president, they would have to,
- One, overcome being awestruck of the intimidating State House environment and being starstruck when the president appears in their midst.
- Two, they are not likely to fight the president in his own house. Instead they will maintain certain level of decorum to avoid embarrassing him and being tagged an enemy and targeted.
- Three, being selected from hundreds of senior journalists in the country is a kind of honour and they would willingly pay back.
- Four, if they you want to leave State House happier and 'heavier' than they came, they would have to help the president appear smart before his audience. In this hard time, many journalists including majority of Nigerians including those criticizing would want to leave happier and heavier.

Bottomline is it will only take hotheads like David Hundeyin, Sowore, Fisayo Soyombo, Joyce Onyemuwa, etc to face the president and ask him uncomfortable questions in his house.

What I notice is, if you're a critique of Tinubu, no one would invite you for such event. Only those who either Tinubu's Praise singers or neutral journalists were invited

zero8zero:
Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the recent Presidential Media Chat participant selection, addressing public reactions about notable media personalities' absence from the event.

In a message shared on his X social media account, the former legislator responded to criticisms about the exclusion of certain journalists from the presidential engagement.

"Some people are not happy that Seun and Rufai were not invited to the President Media Chat. The program was called chat not interrogation," Sani stated.

Sani don dey misyarn...from the best of my knowledge about journalism, answers to questions throws up more questions but Abati and his crew ignored that. The president gave many answers that should have thrown up more questions but that didn't happen

Hmmm...

Shehu Sani i thought you had sense sha

festacman:
The truth is when journalists are invited to the State House to interview the president, they would have to,
- One, overcome being starstruck when the president appears in their midst.
- Two, they are likely to fight the president in his own house. Instead they will maintain certain level of decorum to avoid embarrassing him.
- Three, being selected from hundreds of senior journalists in the country is a kind of honour and they would willingly pay back.
- Four, if they you want to leave State House happier and 'heavier' than they came, you would have to help the president appear smart before his audience.

Bottomline is it will only take hotheads like David Hundeyin, Sowore, Fisayo Soyombo, Joyce Onyemuwa, etc to face the president and ask him uncomfortable questions.

Aside Sowore, the rest na babies, they will fold. Sowore has never been an interviewer.

-Kiss the truth!

Ellapthia:
What I notice is, if you're a critique of Tinubu, no one would invite you for such event. Only those who either Tinubu's Praise singers or neutral journalists were invited

Is Arisetv/ThisDay friends of Tinubu?. They had two reps, one for each media.

-Kiss the truth!

Toh

I don't have anything to say

Noblechykk:
Sani don dey misyarn...from the best of my knowledge about journalism, answers to questions throws up more questions but Abati and his crew ignored that. The president gave many answers that should have thrown up more questions but that didn't happen

More questions within one hour?. Arm chair critics.

-Kiss the truth!

ednut1:
Shehu Sani i thought you had sense sha

What's the meaning of a Chat?, tell us and let's measure your common sense.

-Kiss the truth!

TimeManager:
More questions within one hour?. Arm chair critics.

-Kiss the truth!

Your penis bag

You're a fool and an idiot if you ever vote in any elections in Nigeria.

Media chat or media interrogation, country don die be say e don die.

Make Una continue de fool Una selves

What Nigerians needed though was an interrogation of Mr president's policies and programs and not the arranged media chat.

Would've been nice seeing the journalists take him up on the answers he have, interrogating them to get the 'why' of the policies but because they are either afraid having been warned beforehand or they don't have the mental acuity to push further.

Why didn't they ask him why he keeps asking Nigerians to make sacrifices but buys a #150 million jet when millions of Nigerians are dying of hunger?

Well the government need people who can ask useless questions.

Threads about the man with 5 Rolls Royce is starting to flood Nairaland has anyone noticed....😂😂😂😂

Bobloco:
A mere chit-chat, a bulaba balablu chat, and the entire Tinubu's paid agents and BATerians are making a mountain out of it.

Nonsense

Just let it all out. Let all the pain out.

We know nah..

E pain that rufai guy that he wasn’t invited join body to meet the presido..

Think9ja:
You're a fool and an idiot if you ever vote in any elections in Nigeria.

Media chat or media interrogation, country don die be say e don die.

Make Una continue de fool Una selves

We said it..

All the people wey vote the Agulu fraud are fools..

Brenbentondiaz:
Just let it all out. Let all the pain out.

You and the guy are both in the same economy.

Infact, he may even be better off than you in real life.

Rufai is a planted agent by PDP and Obi.

Bobloco:
A mere chit-chat, a bulaba balablu chat, and the entire Tinubu's paid agents and BATerians are making a mountain out of it.

Nonsense

Go to the business section, abi u be journalist without a journal?

CSTRR:
You and the guy are both in the same economy.

Infact, he may even be better off than you in real life.

So what is your point, is it President Tinubu that made comrade Bobloco not to have a strong economic footing in The Federal Republic of Nigeria?

festacman:
The truth is when journalists are invited to the State House to interview the president, they would have to,
- One, overcome being awestruck of the intimidating State House environment and being starstruck when the president appears in their midst.

1. President Bola Tinubu held a media chat at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence, where he shared his thoughts on various pressing issues.

2. This is why, for journalists to respect themselves, they have to reduce playing outside their courts. It is better you invite your guest to your studio than go to his place. A CEO who invites you to his boardroom has some influence over you because it is his court. Abati saying no one asked them to submit questions beforehand is both damage control and deviation from the fact that it was not live, it was recorded. This means there is time to edit and of course, the President will be relaxed.

3. While I understand what you are saying, not all journalists will cower to the office because they are professionals. All they will do is to adjust a bit. Their temperance will definitely not be the same as they were in the studio but they will still ask.

4. The reason why the media is the 4th estate of the realm is because they are the voice of the people. If you know you're looking for a position, leave the place. We don't want a situation where those who were elected by the people have nothing to fear anymore. Our legislature is compromised, the judiciary is no longer blind and we can't afford to have a choir of media men singing for the President or elected officials. This is why I condemned those who went to interview Wike, let him come to the NUJ house or a neutral place, don't go to his house or office to interview him. You have lost some of your independence that way.

5. I am not a fan of Rufai but sometimes we need people like that. You know why? Media allows the common man think and judge for themselves. If everyone behaves the same way and thinks alike, you'll lose interest and viewers. People think differently and he makes sense sometimes with his questions. When he asks those questions, if you have no fear, you put him in his place with facts. But a situation where people curry news, it means they are like the rainbow, they can fade in and fade out.

I watched Abati, Ayo and Rufai on TMS and I liked how 3 of them had different points. While Abati was trying to hound over him that he had being conducting Presidential Media chats since 1999, those were still not responses to the burning questions Rufai asked. No one cares if you invented media chats. As a journalist, are you asking questions the masses want an answer to. You need to remember who you are loyal to. Yourself or the profession. Rufai can be overboard on some issues but I won't deny quality questions when they come in and I qm not someone who puts people down. I am interested in the issues than the personalities whether they are doing it for likes or dislikes.

6. Obasanjo started the live media chat and some questions have irked him in the past. I remember one of the journalists, I can't remember the name, it may be Gbenga Aruleba, I'm not sure, asked him a question that irritated him. The media chat is not a chat, it is a Q&A. People will call in then and there was no social media. It is not a place for soft landing but in this one, Maupe was one of the few who tried to follow-up with a question. If you are a critical person on your show and then you have the opportunity to show that in person and you don't, you are a coward.

7. Tundun also had this approach that was critical but she was there with Abati and their CEO to speak to Buhari. What media houses must understand is that people are not stupid. And this takes me back to Abati trying to intimidate the younger ones with how long he had been doing this. No one cares!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lKTSdpc0go

The media was the biggest loser in the American election because they saw how journalists were taking sides, giving politicians an easy pass and lambasting 1 candidate. The people know when you have done well and the people know when you have done well for yourself only but you keep deceiving yourself that you have done well for everyone.
Nigerians don't seem to understand that a huge % of their population are youth. A huge number of them don't know history and don't care what you did in the past, they are assessing you based on what you are doing today. You may say they have a mob attitude but they also ask critical questions and once you ignore them, you reinforce their belief that you guys are living in your past. This is why you cannot ignore the likes of Rufai because there is a demography that follow them. Don't forget that the younger generation are not using traditional news like we used to in the past so ignoring them is like speaking to your classmates for a school election.
I have seen instances where Monday Obilo, Kadri lady amongst others have interviewed high profile candidates but they bite hard. it's not an easy job to do but if you are experienced enough, you should have more leverage than newbies.

Threads about the man with 5 Rolls Royces are starting to flood Nairaland. Has anyone noticed? 😂😂😂😂

buckeyemedia:
So what is your point, is it President Tinubu that made comrade Bobloco not to have a strong economic footing in The Federal Republic of Nigeria?

What a useless question.

trium:
1. President Bola Tinubu held a media chat at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence, where he shared his thoughts on various pressing issues.

2. This is why, for journalists to respect themselves, they have to reduce playing outside their courts. It is better you invite your guest to your studio than go to his place. A CEO who invites you to his boardroom has some influence over you because it is his court. Abati saying no one asked them to submit questions beforehand is both damage control and deviation from the fact that it was not live, it was recorded. This means there is time to edit and of course, the President will be relaxed.

3. While I understand what you are saying, not all journalists will cower to the office because they are professionals. All they will do is to adjust a bit. Their temperance will definitely not be the same as they were in the studio but they will still ask.

4. The reason why the media is the 4th estate of the realm is because they are the voice of the people. If you know you're looking for a position, leave the place. We don't want a situation where those who were elected by the people have nothing to fear anymore. Our legislature is compromised, the judiciary is no longer blind and we can't afford to have a choir of media men singing for the President or elected officials. This is why I condemned those who went to interview Wike, let him come to the NUJ house or a neutral place, don't go to his house or office to interview him. You have lost some of your independence that way.

5. I am not a fan of Rufai but sometimes we need people like that. You know why? Media allows the common man think and judge for themselves. If everyone behaves the same way and thinks alike, you'll lose interest and viewers. People think differently and he makes sense sometimes with his questions. When he asks those questions, if you have no fear, you put him in his place with facts. But a situation where people curry news, it means they are like the rainbow, they can fade in and fade out.

I watched Abati, Ayo and Rufai on TMS and I liked how 3 of them had different points. While Abati was trying to hound over him that he had being conducting Presidential Media chats since 1999, those were still not responses to the burning questions Rufai asked. No one cares if you invented media chats. As a journalist, are you asking questions the masses want an answer to. You need to remember who you are loyal to. Yourself or the profession. Rufai can be overboard on some issues but I won't deny quality questions when they come in and I qm not someone who puts people down. I am interested in the issues than the personalities whether they are doing it for likes or dislikes.

6. Obasanjo started the live media chat and some questions have irked him in the past. I remember one of the journalists, I can't remember the name, it may be Gbenga Aruleba, I'm not sure, asked him a question that irritated him. The media chat is not a chat, it is a Q&A. People will call in then and there was no social media. It is not a place for soft landing but in this one, Maupe was one of the few who tried to follow-up with a question. If you are a critical person on your show and then you have the opportunity to show that in person and you don't, you are a coward.

7. Tundun also had this approach that was critical but she was there with Abati and their CEO to speak to Buhari. What media houses must understand is that people are not stupid. And this takes me back to Abati trying to intimidate the younger ones with how long he had been doing this. No one cares!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lKTSdpc0go

The media was the biggest loser in the American election because they saw how journalists were taking sides, giving politicians an easy pass and lambasting 1 candidate. The people know when you have done well and the people know when you have done well for yourself only but you keep deceiving yourself that you have done well for everyone.
Nigerians don't seem to understand that a huge % of their population are youth. A huge number of them don't know history and don't care what you did in the past, they are assessing you based on what you are doing today. You may say they have a mob attitude but they also ask critical questions and once you ignore them, you reinforce their belief that you guys are living in your past. This is why you cannot ignore the likes of Rufai because there is a demography that follow them. Don't forget that the younger generation are not using traditional news like we used to in the past so ignoring them is like speaking to your classmates for a school election.
I have seen instances where Monday Obilo, Kadri lady amongst others have interviewed high profile candidates but they bite hard. it's not an easy job to do but if you are experienced enough, you should have more leverage than newbies.

👍

Rufai is an overrated noisemaker with a bloated ego. I would've loved to see him throw those mysterious questions to Tinubu. Rubbish.