Edo PDP Primary: Obaseki's S.A hijacks accreditation process, bars journalists

From our news desk, Benin 

Crusoe Osagie 

The accreditation process of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Primary election holding today; Thursday, 22 February, 2024 in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, was hijacked by Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the State governor, Godwin Obaseki on Media Projects.

Journalists at the accreditation centre; 'Edo Hotel' were disappointed as they were denied accreditation by the Party officials.

They were told that only 10 journalists in the print and electronic media in the State were accredited by Crusoe for the event.

This however, is contrary to a release signed and made available to the media earlier yesterday; Wednesday, 21 February, 2024 by Tony Anenih Jnr, the Party's State organising secretary, to convene at the Marque; centre for the accreditation.

The action was strongly condemned in a press statement by the secretary of Edo Online Media Practitioners, Dada Sam Ayokhai and made available to journalists in the State.

He wondered why a project that was supposed to be a purely  PDP party affair intended to produce a credible and acceptable party flag bearer was  hijacked by Crusoe Osagie, Edo State Government official instead of the PDP Publicity Secretary.

It is disheartening to learn that Crusoe Osagie has specifically barred online media practitioners, a body duly recognized by the umbrella body, Nigeria Union Of Journalists, ( NUJ) and Newspaper Proprietors of Nigeria ( NPAN) from the venue of the primary.  

Only time will tell what he intends to achieve by this counter productive directive, he wondered.

This is just one of the series of deprivation of journalists' rights to cover so many events of national interest in the State, by the Obaseki's Special Adviser.

Reacting to the unfortunate incident, a member of the civil Society Organization (CSO) who was also denied accreditation said that the office of the SA to the Governor was quite distinct from the office of the publicity Secretary of the PDP.

"Therefore Crusoe should  choose between his office as SA media, or that of the publicity Secretary of the PDP."

It is on record that Crusoe's unfriendly dealings with journalists in the State has adversely affected the publicity of numerous achievements of the Godwin Obaseki's administration.