Amb. Odidi Godday Aguriase (OGA) has explained why his media brand will not formally join partisan politics or accept political appointments, saying his priority is to protect the independence, credibility, and long-term integrity of the media platform he has spent years building.
According to him, his experience after accepting a media-related political appointment in 2022 fundamentally changed his understanding of the relationship between politics and the media.
“Nigeria’s politics can slowly destroy your career if you are not careful. When I accepted a media appointment in 2022, those in the opposition immediately turned me into their enemy.”
He explained that although the appointment was not something he had originally planned for, it came unexpectedly, and accepting it exposed his media brand to political interpretations, suspicion, and pressure.
“I did not plan to accept the appointment. It came unexpectedly. But once I accepted it, envy came in, financial demands increased, and people began to see my media platform through the lens of politics.”
Aguriase said the experience affected the growth and direction of his media business because a platform that was previously able to engage with different political actors suddenly became associated with one side of the political divide.
“I Don’t Want My Media Voice To Become A Political Voice”
According to him, one of the greatest lessons he learned was that media professionals must be careful about sacrificing their independent voice for political appointments.
He argued that media practitioners can report, interview, analyse, and provide visibility for political actors without necessarily becoming members or representatives of political parties.
“My media brand can cover all political activities. I can interview politicians, report political events and give visibility to different political interests. But I cannot make myself a stooge for any political party.”
For Aguriase, maintaining media independence is not about refusing to engage with politics; rather, it is about preserving the ability to engage with every side without being permanently identified with one political camp.
He said his greatest concern is losing the integrity of what he has built over the years.
“I don’t want to lose the integrity of what I struggled to build for years.”
“Politics Made Me Lose Focus”
Reflecting on his experience between 2022 and 2023, Aguriase said political involvement affected his concentration and relationships within the media space.
He recalled that some people began avoiding him because of his public support and promotion of an APC candidate in Delta State during that period.
“From 2022 to 2023, some people were avoiding me because I was promoting an APC candidate in Delta State. That experience taught me that once a media personality becomes strongly identified with one political interest, people who disagree with that interest may begin to question everything the person represents.”
He said the experience made him reconsider the direction of his brand and the importance of maintaining a platform that can work across political, business and social interests.
“I Publish What I See”
Aguriase maintained that his philosophy is to publish what he sees and report issues based on his understanding of events rather than manufacture narratives to satisfy a political interest.
“I’m too big to write lies on social media platforms for one political party in Nigeria. I publish what I see.”
He stressed that his media organisation should remain capable of reporting on government activities, opposition activities, businesses, entrepreneurs, community leaders, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens.
In his view, the value of a media platform increases when different groups can approach it without automatically assuming that it belongs to a particular political party.
“Media Professionals Need To Protect Their Careers”
Aguriase also raised concerns about the relationship between politicians and media professionals, arguing that political appointments can create visibility and temporary influence but may not necessarily provide long-term financial security for media practitioners.
“Media professionals are not always well prepared for what comes after political appointments. You may receive respect while you are in office, but that does not automatically translate into sustainable wealth or a stronger media business.”
He said media professionals should therefore think beyond political access and consider how to build sustainable media organisations, intellectual property, audiences, businesses and independent revenue streams.
According to him, political proximity should not become the only source of survival for a media entrepreneur.
“My Brand Belongs To Everyone”
Aguriase said his decision does not mean his organisation will stay away from politics.
Rather, the brand will continue to cover political activities, interview politicians, report elections, analyse public affairs and provide platforms for political actors across different parties.
The distinction, he explained, is between covering politics and becoming part of partisan politics.
“We can cover everybody without belonging to everybody politically. My media brand belongs to the public, not to one political party.”
He said he wants his platform to remain open to different political parties, businesses, professionals, entrepreneurs, community leaders and institutions.
Protecting The Future
For Amb. Odidi Godday Aguriase, the decision is ultimately about protecting the future of his media enterprise.
He believes that political appointments come with responsibilities and expectations that can sometimes place media professionals in difficult positions, particularly when their professional identity becomes inseparable from the political administration or party they served.
His decision, therefore, is to continue building a media platform that can observe, report, question, promote and document Nigeria without becoming permanently tied to a political structure.
“I have spent years building my media brand. I don’t want to destroy its future because of a political appointment. I want to remain independent enough to speak, publish and work with people across political divides.”
Aguriase said his experience has strengthened his conviction that a media entrepreneur must carefully protect credibility because reputation takes years to build but can be damaged quickly when audiences begin to perceive a media organisation as an extension of a political party.
For him, the goal is clear: cover politics, but do not allow politics to own the media brand.
“I don’t want to take another political appointment. I want to build my media, build people, promote enterprise and continue inspiring excellence without becoming a political stooge.”