The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called for greater consistency in media coverage of political confrontations following the reported obstruction of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, in Benue State.
In a statement shared on Wednesday on his X official account, Keyamo condemned the incident but used it to challenge what he described as partisan treatment of similar encounters involving candidates of different political parties.
He said the reported attempt by protesters to stop Obi from reaching the venue of his proposed visit in Benue was unacceptable, irrespective of the reason behind the action.
Keyamo acknowledged competing accounts about what triggered the confrontation. He referenced the Benue State Government’s position that the protest could have resulted from internal disagreements within the NDC, as well as allegations that the protesters were sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or another rival party.
He said neither explanation could justify interference with a politician’s freedom of movement.
“Whether the protest was as a result of internal squabbles within the NDC, as posited by the Benue State Government, or sponsored by the APC or any other rival party, this should not be part of our democracy,” Keyamo stated.
He also addressed claims that Obi’s intended visit to Yelwata, where deadly killings had occurred, was politically calculated to revive public emotions around the tragedy.
According to him, even if such an interpretation were correct, it would not legitimise blocking the opposition candidate.
“That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference,” he said.
However, Keyamo’s principal concern was the language used by sections of the media when reporting political confrontations.
He accused partisan outlets of applying different labels to comparable incidents depending on the political identity of the person involved.
He said an angry crowd confronting an APC candidate was often presented as evidence of the candidate’s “rejection” by Nigerians, whereas a similar encounter involving an opposition politician was more likely to be described as an “attack” by “sponsored thugs” or “hoodlums”.
“Just check most headlines today,” he said.
The minister also criticised what he called the tolerance of inflammatory statements from some opposition figures.
He noted that some opposition leaders had publicly suggested that APC candidates could be “stoned”, “beaten” or molested if they entered certain parts of the country while openly campaigning for the party.
Keyamo said the media should not amplify such remarks without subjecting them to the same scrutiny applied to alleged political violence against opposition figures.
“What is good for the goose is also good for the gander,” he stated.
He consequently called for political reporting that applies a uniform standard to all parties and candidates.
To Keyamo, the ballot box should provide the legitimate outlet for public anger against politicians. Voters, he said, should express approval or rejection through their votes rather than physical confrontation during campaigns.
“Whoever is angry at any candidate of any political party should display the anger with the ballot paper on voting day by a simple thumbprint, not by violent acts during campaigns,” he concluded.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
Keyamo accuses Obi of turning airport parking breach into politics
Keyamo hails Delta APC primaries, says ‘Abuja imposition’ failed
Keyamo accuses opposition leaders of ‘blackmail’ amid Abuja protest
