Arise Television on Friday, September 4, 2026, abruptly terminated a live interview with Lere Olayinka, the media aide to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, after the guest refused to respond to questions from one of the programme’s anchors, Rufai Oseni.
The incident occurred during The Morning Show, which is co-anchored by Dr. Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni, and Ayo Mairo-Ese.
Olayinka had appeared as a guest amid discussions on corruption allegations, the political weaponisation of investigations, and related controversies involving members of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council.
When Oseni took his turn to ask questions—reportedly pressing Olayinka on Wike’s position regarding the inclusion of certain figures, including former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu, in the campaign council despite corruption-related issues—Olayinka declined to engage.
“I’m very sorry to say this, Oseni Rufai. I don’t want to answer any question from you,” Olayinka stated. He added that he preferred the conversation to involve “reasonable human beings,” specifically those “who will not come and describe other people as ‘Gbewudani’” (or similar variants reported as “Gbewu dani,” “emudani,” or “Behudani” across accounts).
Co-anchor Ayo Mairo-Ese immediately objected. She reminded Olayinka that he was aware the programme featured three anchors and that accepting the invitation meant engaging with all of them.
“We take exception to that, Mr Olayinka. Before you came to this show, I’m sure that you are aware that we have three anchors on the show. Since you are coming to present yourself to the Morning Show, the onus is on you to present yourself to the three anchors, who are here based on their credibility,” she said.
When Olayinka maintained his refusal—“I am not answering question from Oseni Rufai”—Mairo-Ese brought the interview to a close.
“No more questions, since you don’t want to answer. We thank you very much for your time this morning and hope to see you again when you are ready to speak to the three of us,” she concluded, effectively taking the guest off air.
The exchange quickly generated widespread attention online, with video clips of the moment circulating on social media platforms. It also highlighted the longstanding tension between Olayinka and Oseni, who have previously clashed publicly over various issues involving Wike and the FCT administration.
In a subsequent reaction, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, defended Olayinka. Bwala accused Oseni and Mairo-Ese of lacking objectivity and of seeking to advance the agenda of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi. He praised Olayinka for holding the anchors “to account.”
The episode marks another high-profile on-air confrontation involving Wike’s media team and Arise TV presenters. Olayinka has frequently appeared on the station to defend the FCT Minister’s positions, while Oseni is known for his probing and often confrontational interviewing style.
As of the time of this report, neither Wike nor Arise TV had issued an official statement on the matter.
A similar clash played out earlier in the year between Olayinka and Oseni:
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