The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and prominent Nigerians have condemned the Federal Government for suspending the licences of African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM.
The PDP, which lamented that the action represents dictatorship, said President Muhammadu Buhari was behaving like a king with extreme powers.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said “This action of the government is most undesirable and unfortunate. It is an indication of what to come as the government must be planning to arrest Nigerians indiscriminately.
“It is also an indication that the government has returned the country to military rule. President Buhari must know that he is not the king of the country. Rather, he should know that we are in a democracy.
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“We are not in a jungle. He should know that there was a country before he assumed office and there will still be a country after he must have left. He should build, instead of destroying.”
On his part, the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said, “The legislature has been challenged. The judiciary has been tackled. If we stand by as the press loses its independence, there will be little to differentiate us from a dictatorship. This should not happen.”
Also, former minister of aviation and a chieftain of the PDP, Femi Fani-Kayode, warned that the worst had yet to come under the present administration.
The National Broadcasting Commission had Thursday announced the suspension of the licences of the African Independent Television and Ray Power FM belonging to the Daar Communications Limited, a company founded by Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
The NBC Director-General, Dr Modibbo Kawu, stated at a press briefing in Abuja, that the media stations are acting against ethics, and they also owe licensing fees.
Earlier, the founder of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, alleged that its subsidiaries, Africa Independent Television and Raypower FM, were being persecuted by the NBC on instructions from the Presidency.
Earlier, Dokpesi had lamented the imposition of N500m in licensing fees on private broadcasting organisations while government-owned broadcast stations paid N10m.