Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, has responded to the backlash that followed his on-air exchange with Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, during which he told the envoy not to interrupt him.
The Arise TV presenter came under criticism on social media after clips of the interview circulated online, showing him firmly cautioning the ambassador during a discussion.
Reacting to the criticism on Saturday, Rufai took to his X account in a series of posts, drawing comparisons with the recent interview conducted by Mehdi Hasan of Al Jazeera with Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu.
“To a lot of people, Mehdi can hold politicians accountable because he’s a white man, but a lot of Nigerians are not wired to see a black man like Rufai holding politicians accountable,” he wrote.
He added that many critics reacted strongly because he addressed a white diplomat firmly during the interview.
“Today, when Rufai said, ‘Don’t interrupt me’ to a white man, they lost their minds because of colonialism. How dare Rufai say to a white man, ‘Don’t interrupt me’? So to them, he must be rude, especially when the white man is from a nation that Christianity has taught them to worship!”
Rufai further argued that the backlash reveals a mindset problem that would take time for the society to overcome.
“The problem with Nigerians is in their heads. It will take years to change,” he added.
‘Colonial mentality’ – Rufai Oseni blasts critics after exchange with Israeli ambassador
