A veteran journalist and activist, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman has called for a law to protect the press after reports of recent harassment and intimidation by presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar’s aides at the Plateau State Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP) Secretariat.
Atiku Abubakar reportedly chased journalists out of the Secretariat, when he visited on Monday to meet with the State leadership and delegates of the party to discuss his 2023 Presidential ambition.
Taking to his Facebook page, Suleiman said the recent case of Atiku’s personal guards and aides threatening and intimidating reporters in Plateau State highlighted the need for a law to ensure the safety of the media against desperate politicians and their overzealous aides when performing their duties.
“On Monday, reporters said they had been harassed by angry Atiku’s security guards and who insisted they leave the premises of the Plateau State PDP Secretariat on his repeated orders saying “I have nothing to do with journalists. I’m here to see delegates.”
The order, according to reports by several national dailies prompted his aides and security details to go on a rampage, chasing out journalists, causing a stampede, and as a result, damaging gadgets including phones as well as a tripod and camera belonging to Channels TV,” Suleiman recounted.
Suleiman said any obstruction of the media in carrying out their duties, including physical or verbal aggression, should be a punishable offence.
“We must reiterate the stance that any issue involving journalistic work and ethics should be managed by an independent media council and the formulation of any law should be based on journalism ethics and principles,” he said.
