The ban on Africa Independent Television, AIT from covering the activities of the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari has been reversed.
His party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, reversed the decision on Tuesday in a statement issued by Lai Mohammed, APC’s spokesman. The APC said that all accredited Nigerian media organisations, including the AIT, were at liberty to cover public activities, including those of the president-elect, but must do so in adherence to ethics and standards of journalism profession.
”There is a Code of Ethics guiding the practice of journalism in Nigeria, and this demands every journalist to ensure a strict adherence to the highest levels of ethics and professionalism in carrying out their duties.
”There must be repercussions, within the realms of the law, for media organisations which have wantonly breached the Code of Ethics of the journalism profession and turned themselves to partisans instead of professionals. But such repercussions will not include barring any accredited media organisation from covering the activities of the President-elect,” Mohammed said.
Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesperson, had cited issues of security and family concerns as reasons for asking the AIT to stay away from covering him. “They (AIT) have been asked to step down their coverage until we resolve the matter with them on ethics and standard,” Shehu said on Monday.
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