Why Nigerians Prefer Rufai’s Blunt Style of Journalism

Why Nigerians Prefer Rufai’s Blunt Style of Journalism

 

During Nyesom Wike’s recent interview on Channels Television, many viewers couldn’t help but notice how Seun Okinbaloye appeared to go easy on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. For many, it was another episode that exposed the growing gap between two of Nigeria’s most prominent broadcast journalists — Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV and Rufai Oseni of Arise TV.

 

Wike said a lot of things that could have been fact-checked or followed up, but Seun barely pressed him for details. At one point, Wike claimed that his father was a manager of “many companies,” yet Seun didn’t even ask him to name one of those companies — he simply moved to the next question.

 

If it were Rufai, many believe he would have pushed harder for specifics. Rufai is known for asking questions that demand a direct answer, while Seun often frames his questions in ways that give the guest an escape route — or worse, an opportunity to explain away accountability.

 

To many Nigerians, this difference in approach matters. Seun tends to ask indirect or guided questions, while Rufai goes straight to the point. Some argue that Seun’s style is “professional,” others see it as “brown envelope journalism” — journalism that appears too soft on the powerful.

 

But in a country like Nigeria, where corruption remains a national crisis and politicians continue to loot public funds while asking citizens to “be patient and pray,” soft journalism feels like complicity. Nigeria doesn’t need sugarcoated interviews. It needs journalists who can ask hard questions and hold leaders accountable, without fear or favour.

 

For example, if both men were to handle the same question about corruption, their approaches would be vastly different:

 

Rufai: “Sir, there are allegations that you stole public funds. Thank God you are here to answer for yourself. Honourable sir, did you steal any public funds?”

 

Seun: “Honourable sir, people have been saying that funds have been mismanaged under your watch, though your office has released a statement saying it is false. What do you have to say about the allegations?”

 

 

The difference is clear. Rufai doesn’t care about massaging anyone’s ego, while Seun often tries to play safe.

 

Still, both men are doing their jobs well — only that Nigerians, tired of being deceived and exploited, now prefer blunt, fearless journalism to polite professionalism. In today’s Nigeria, truth needs no sugarcoating.

 

 

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