A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, John Mayaki, has strongly condemned a recent full-page editorial published by ThisDay, accusing the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party of using media to blackmail the judiciary. The contentious article, titled “All Eyes on Edo Tribunal” and penned by ThisDay Sunday Editor Davidson Iriekpen, has been dismissed by Mayaki as a calculated attempt to manipulate public perception and exert undue pressure on the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Mayaki asserted, “Those who believe election petitions can be won through sentiment, media blackmail and coordinated propaganda against the judiciary will be disappointed. Legal battles are won on the strength of arguments and evidence, not on the intensity of partisan journalism.”
He further observed that the PDP’s anxiety over the tribunal’s proceedings stems from the fact that INEC chose not to call any witnesses, instead submitting certified election results, documents and other materials that form a lawful defence of the electoral process.
“Since INEC provided these materials, PDP has lost sleep,” he remarked, adding that the party and its candidate have escalated their tactics by targeting the tribunal and judiciary with outright falsehoods.
Mayaki, who praised ThisDay as one of the best newspapers in the country, questioned why a seasoned editor would allow himself to be manipulated as a pawn in a politically skewed narrative that portrays the PDP as victims while painting the APC as manipulators. “Why would an experienced editor engage in one-sided reporting, completely devoid of journalistic balance and factual integrity?” he asked.
He further challenged the decision to publish anonymously sourced allegations and vague references to ‘analysts’, accusing the Sunday Editor of breaching the core principles of ethical journalism. “Journalism should be about facts, not unnamed sources peddling propaganda. The editor was not quoting any named analysts but merely echoing the PDP’s political frustrations under the guise of balanced reporting,” Mayaki declared.
In a scathing critique, he also accused the reporter of double standards by remaining silent on past instances of alleged democratic abuse under the previous PDP administration in Edo State. “Where was Davidson Iriekpen when former Governor Godwin Obaseki orchestrated the illegal non-inauguration of 14 elected members of the Edo State House of Assembly? Why was there no ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ article when Obaseki refused to swear in judges or when he deliberately stalled judicial proceedings to suit his political interests?” he questioned.
Mayaki concluded by urging the tribunal judges to ignore what he described as intimidation tactics and to focus solely on delivering justice based on law and evidence. “This is a test of character, honesty and integrity for the judges handling the case. They must resist external pressures and ensure that justice is not swayed by propaganda or blackmail,” he warned.
