Sen Arise tasks media to hold public officials accountable

Former lawmaker, Senator Ayo Arise, has called on the media to ensure that public officials are made to carry out their duties.

Arise, who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011 at the National Assembly made the call in his lecture titled, ‘Internal Party Democracy, Good Governance, The Media and the Future Of Nigeria Democracy”, which he delivered at the 2026 Annual Lecture/Award organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ekiti state council, Ado-Ekiti.

The former lawmaker noted that the media occupies a critical position in the democratic process by informing citizens and questioning those in power and beaming their searchlights on areas that needed improvements.

He posited that everything about the government should not be criticisms, but commendations where necessary for the development of the country.

The former Senator said the media should apply its influence to educating citizens about the inevitability of challenges in democratic societies and remain committed to democratic values despite such challenges.

He also canvassed deeper internal party democracy within Nigeria’s political parties, stating that the quality of the country’s democracy depends largely on the quality of candidates produced by the parties.

”Political parties remain a major gateway through which Nigerians gain access to elective public offices, making the way parties select and manage their candidates critical to the future of democracy.”