Ebonyi Youths Issue 24-Hour Ultimatum To Rufai, Demand Apology To Umahi Over Arise TV Clash

A coalition of young people under the aegis of Concerned Youths for Distinguished Senator Engr. David Umahi on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, demanding a public apology from Arise News anchor Rufai Oseni.

The protest followed Oseni’s heated on-air exchange with the Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, during a live interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show earlier in the week.

The aggrieved youths, who stormed major streets in Abakaliki carrying placards with various inscriptions, accused Oseni of “disrespecting and attempting to embarrass” the Minister during the broadcast. They gave the journalist and the Arise TV management 24 hours to tender an unreserved public apology or face a mass action across the South-East.

Placards displayed by the protesters carried messages such as “Senator Umahi is a competent and trusted engineer,” “Arise TV must apologize now,” and “Youths stand with Umahi: Architect of Nigeria’s road revolution.”

The controversy originated from the October 7, 2025, edition of The Morning Show, where a tense discussion on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project degenerated into verbal sparring between the presenter and the Minister.

During the exchange, Oseni alleged that the Minister had reported him to President Bola Tinubu over previous criticisms of the project — an accusation Umahi dismissed as baseless. The visibly irritated Minister retorted that Oseni was “too small” for him to report to the President and faulted the journalist’s technical understanding of engineering matters.

The situation intensified when Oseni questioned Umahi’s professional title of “Professor in Engineering,” to which the Minister clarified that it was an honorary and professional recognition, not an academic appointment.

Friday’s protest drew attention from onlookers and commuters in Abakaliki, as the youths reiterated their support for Senator Umahi, describing him as “a visionary leader transforming Nigeria’s road infrastructure with passion and precision.”