Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Rufai Oseni, and the Responsibility That Comes With Public Office
October 12, 2026 | Omolola TalksTV
There is something about the ongoing disagreement between Abike Dabiri-Erewa and Rufai Oseni that I find troubling.
And it goes beyond two prominent Nigerians exchanging words.
It raises questions about journalism, public accountability, ethnic sensitivity, and how people in positions of authority respond when their actions are questioned.
I have followed the arguments surrounding their social media exchange, and one thing keeps coming back to me.
We can not demand responsible journalism while treating public accountability as a personal attack.
Let me explain.
What Actually Happened?
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), recently criticised what she described as irresponsible journalism during a media event in Lagos.
She referred to an earlier exchange on X involving a user who, according to her account, had repeatedly insulted her.
Another person reportedly responded to that user with remarks involving monkeys and gorillas. Dabiri-Erewa reacted with a laughing or smiling emoji.
Rufai Oseni, an ARISE Television journalist, subsequently challenged that reaction, arguing that laughing at a statement considered offensive towards an ethnic group could be interpreted as endorsing it.
Dabiri-Erewa has maintained that she did not personally describe Igbo people in those terms and accused Oseni of misrepresenting what happened.
These are important distinctions.
There is a difference between personally making a derogatory statement and reacting to someone else's statement.
We should not collapse the two into one accusation.
But there is another question.
Should a public official laugh at a remark that can reasonably be understood as dehumanising an ethnic group?
That is the question I believe deserves a serious answer.
A Laughing Emoji Is Not Always Innocent
Social media has changed the way we communicate.
Sometimes, we use emojis to express amusement, disbelief, sarcasm, or frustration.
An emoji does not automatically prove what somebody believes.
But context matters.
When a statement touches on ethnicity, religion, or human dignity, the reaction of a public official carries more weight than an ordinary exchange between friends.
This is particularly important in a country like Nigeria, where ethnic tensions have caused so much division.
Even if Dabiri-Erewa intended her reaction as sarcasm towards someone who had insulted her, it is reasonable for Nigerians to ask whether that response was appropriate.
And if her reaction has been misunderstood, there is room to explain it clearly.
What should not happen is for the discussion to become an excuse to dismiss every journalist who raises the question.
Let Us Not Rewrite Abike Dabiri-Erewa's Journalism Career
Before entering politics, Abike Dabiri-Erewa was a journalist.
She spent approximately fifteen years with the Nigerian Television Authority, where she became known for human-interest reporting, including her work on Newsline.
Her reporting brought public attention to issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, particularly women and children.
That history deserves recognition.
We should not erase someone's professional contributions simply because we disagree with their present conduct.
But we must also acknowledge that journalism has changed considerably since those years.
The Nigerian Television Authority operates within a public broadcasting structure, while ARISE Television is a privately owned broadcaster.
Those institutional environments differ in their ownership, editorial pressures, and relationships with government.
However, it would be unfair to conclude that every NTA journalist lacked independence or that every journalist working in private media is automatically courageous.
Good journalism is not determined by the name of the television station.
It is determined by the work.
The questions asked.
The evidence presented.
The willingness to challenge power.
And the responsibility to correct mistakes.
Rufai Oseni: Asking the Questions Many Nigerians Want Answered
Now, let me talk about Rufai Oseni.
There is something about his approach to journalism that I personally appreciate.
Rufai is not the kind of interviewer who simply asks a question, receives an answer, and moves on when that answer leaves important issues unresolved.
He follows up.
He asks for clarification.
And sometimes, just when a guest thinks the conversation has moved on, another question comes. 😂
Of course, not everyone appreciates that approach. Some people find his interviewing style too confrontational, while others see it as a necessary part of holding public figures accountable.
I belong to the group of viewers who appreciate journalists asking difficult questions.
For many Nigerians who admire his work, Rufai gives expression to questions they would like public officials to answer. Questions about governance, public spending, economic hardship, accountability, and the everyday realities of citizens.
That connection with his audience is one reason his interviews attract so much attention.
But let me explain why this matters personally to me.
I studied mass communication, and one of my ambitions was to become an investigative journalist.
I have always been interested in journalism that goes beyond repeating official statements.
I wanted to ask questions, investigate issues, understand the facts, and tell stories that might otherwise remain unheard.
Life has taken me through different experiences, and today, I am building Omolola TalksTV, where storytelling, history, culture, and public commentary remain central to my work.
So when I watch journalists who are willing to ask challenging questions, I remember the kind of work that first attracted me to this profession.
That is part of what I appreciate about Rufai.
And yes, I know he has his critics.
No journalist is perfect, and admiration should never prevent us from recognising mistakes.
Rufai, like every journalist, must remain accountable to the facts. Tough questioning is valuable, but accuracy, fairness, and professionalism must always accompany it.
Still, I believe journalists deserve recognition when their work encourages public scrutiny and makes important conversations accessible to ordinary citizens.
Rufai Oseni, if you ever come across this article, I want to personally thank you for the work you do.
Thank you for reminding aspiring journalists and those of us who still carry that passion that asking questions is an important part of serving the public.
Keep asking.
Keep listening.
Keep checking the facts.
And never lose sight of the people whose concerns deserve to be heard.
From one mass communication graduate who once dreamed of investigative journalism, your dedication to questioning public affairs is something I appreciate.
That appreciation does not mean I will agree with every question you ask or every position you take.
It simply means I recognise the importance of journalism that is willing to examine power.
And that is something worth encouraging.
Remembering Dele Giwa
Whenever discussions about courageous Nigerian journalism arise, I often think about Dele Giwa.
Giwa was one of the founding journalists behind Newswatch, a publication remembered for its investigative approach and willingness to examine sensitive national issues.
He was killed by a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986.
His death remains one of the most disturbing chapters in Nigerian journalism.
His legacy reminds us that the freedom to investigate, question, and publish has never been something journalists should take for granted.
But courage alone is not enough.
It must be accompanied by accuracy, fairness, and evidence.
We do not honour journalists such as Dele Giwa by assuming that every outspoken journalist is always correct.
We honour that legacy by defending the right to ask difficult questions while insisting that those questions are grounded in facts.
That is the standard we should expect from Rufai Oseni, Abike Dabiri-Erewa's critics, and every other journalist.
Public Office Requires a Different Level of Responsibility
There is another issue we must not ignore.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa is no longer speaking only as a former television presenter.
She holds public office.
As chairperson of a commission responsible for Nigerians in the diaspora, she represents an institution that serves Nigerians from different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
That responsibility matters.
Whether someone is Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Ijaw, Tiv, or from any other Nigerian community, their dignity should never become the subject of ethnic ridicule.
The fact that someone insulted you first does not automatically justify every response.
And having a long career in journalism does not place anyone beyond criticism.
Experience deserves respect.
Public office demands accountability.
The two should go together.
My Perspective
I do not believe we need to turn this controversy into a competition over who is the better journalist.
Nor should we make it another Yoruba-versus-Igbo argument.
That would take us away from the real issue.
The question is whether we can hold two principles at once.
A journalist must report accurately and avoid attributing words to someone who did not say them.
A public official must exercise care when responding to language that appears to degrade an entire ethnic community.
Both principles matter.
If a journalist gets the facts wrong, correct the record.
If a public official's reaction causes legitimate concern, address the concern.
There is no contradiction.
Perhaps this conversation means a little more to me because journalism has always been close to my heart.
I admire the courage it takes to ask difficult questions, particularly when the person being questioned holds public office.
But I also believe that courage must be guided by evidence.
That is the kind of journalism I wanted to practise, and it remains one of the principles I hope to uphold through Omolola TalksTV.
To Rufai Oseni and every journalist who continues to ask questions in the public interest, thank you.
And to those who hold public office, please remember that journalists are not your enemies simply because their questions make you uncomfortable.
The public deserves answers, journalists owe the public accuracy, and leadership comes with accountability.
A laughing emoji may take only a second to post, but the responsibility attached to public office does not disappear in that second.
That is my perspective.
— Omolola Adepeju
Founder & Managing Director, Omolola TalksTV
