- Abike Dabiri-Erewa sparked a confrontation at a Lagos media event after calling out what she described as irresponsible journalism linked to Rufai Oseni
- The NiDCOM chair said a smiley she posted on X was wrongly interpreted as an endorsement of an offensive post targeting the Igbo ethnic group
- Oseni fired back on X, challenging Dabiri-Erewa to a public debate and accusing her of endorsing bigotry against an ethnic group
A Lagos media anniversary event turned into an unexpected battleground on Saturday, October 10, 2026, when the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Arise Television presenter Rufai Oseni traded sharp public accusations.
The friction played out at a panel session held to celebrate Kikelomo Atanda-Owo Abati's 20 years in the media industry.
Source: Instagram
Dabiri-Erewa used her platform at the event to address what she called a troubling decline in professional journalism standards, and it quickly became personal.
She described how an X account operating under the name "Voice of Igbos" had repeatedly targeted her online.
After tracing the account to a woman she identified as Stephanie, Dabiri-Erewa said she reacted to a reply on one of the posts with a smiley emoji.
She alleged that Rufai Oseni then twisted that reaction into a claim that she had called Igbo people "monkeys and gorillas."
"Somebody replied to her. Then I did a smiley. And then Rufai Oseni came and said, Abike Dabiri calls everybody, Igbos, monkeys and gorillas," she said.
"So that is irresponsible. And then it went viral. Even though I didn't say Igbos."
Abike Dabiri-Erewa criticises journalism standards
The NiDCOM chief took a broader swipe at what she sees as the erosion of ethics in the media.
"Some journalism is going to the dogs. There's no journalism anymore. There are no standards. There are no values," she said, urging media practitioners to hold themselves to the same level of accountability they demand from public officials.
Watch Abike Dabiri-Erewa's remarks about Rufai Oseni in the X video below:
Source: Instagram
Rufai Oseni hits back at Abike Dabiri-Erewa on social media
Rufai Oseni did not let the comments go unanswered.
Shortly after, he took to X on October 11 to accuse Abike Dabiri-Erewa of using the public event as a personal platform to attack him rather than focus on her duties at NiDCOM.
The Arise TV anchor maintained that her emoji reaction amounted to an endorsement of a denigrating post.
"You are guilty as charged. How can you share a laughter emoji at a post that denigrates a tribal group? I put it to you, your laughter here was an endorsement of a denigrating tweet against a certain ethnic group," he wrote.
Rufai Oseni also claimed Dabiri-Erewa's demeanour visibly shifted the moment she noticed his presence at the event, and he said this was not the first time she had confronted him publicly. He called for a structured debate to settle the matter.
"Your problem is you can't stand the truth. I will like to challenge you to a debate on this issue where I will speak the truth to your face and prove to the world you endorse bigotry," he wrote.
When some followers urged him to step back from the dispute, Rufai Oseni was unrelenting:
"Madam Abike Dabiri will mock me on Twitter and use other people's tweets to mock me. You all were quiet. So why are you begging me not to talk?"
Rufai Oseni clashes with Reuben Abati
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Arise TV hosts Rufai Oseni and Reuben Abati engaged in a heated disagreement during The Morning Show on Wednesday, October 7, while discussing the 2027 general elections and INEC’s role in announcing results.
Oseni argued that Nigerians should independently monitor election results as they emerge from polling units, suggesting they establish a separate monitoring channel or situation room, but Abati disagreed, warning that a parallel structure could conflict with the established electoral process.
Addressing viewers, Oseni urged Nigerians to set up their own monitoring platforms while stressing that only INEC should declare the final results, warning citizens not to be “fooled for the second time.”
Source: Legit.ng