Encomiums poured out for late media mogul, High Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi in Abuja on Saturday as the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh and former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, recalled how he assisted in stopping the alleged tenure extension bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to Momoh, Dokpesi combined foresight, personal engagement and media influence to protect Nigeria’s democracy.
The Minister and Oshiomhole spoke at the 2nd Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Diamond Lecture organised by the DAAR communication and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) with the theme “Communication and Development.”
While detailing Dokpesi’s role in the third-term saga, Momoh said that the Founder of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM has not received the recognition he deserves for his pivotal contributions during that period.
Arise News reports that the alleged third-term agenda, which emerged during Obasanjo’s second term, sought to amend the constitution to pave way for a sitting President to contest for a third term.
The proposal generated widespread concern over potential abuse of power and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic trajectory.
However, Obasanjo has repeatedly denied being involved in any plot to extend his tenure.
Momoh explained that Dokpesi personally called lawmakers, explained why the agenda was dangerous, and worked quietly to ensure it did not succeed.
He said, “During the Fifth Assembly, when there was an attempt for third term, many people were taking the credits. But Dokpesi is another man that should be credited for what happened because I was a member of the National Assembly and in one of the occasions, he called me and said, ‘you are my brother, this issue of third term, make sure you work with your people to ensure that it does not succeed.’
“So, after the whole exercise, people were targeted, and people were taking the credit and, I said, ‘I wish they knew the brain behind it, ensuring that this agenda didn’t work.’
“He was that very simple man. This is because apart from using the AIT, he was calling people one after the other, letting them know that it is not a good thing, and that it must not be supported.”
Oshiomhole, representing Edo North in the Senate recalled that the late Dokpesi used his media instruments and made his station available to lawmakers without demanding payment.
He said Dopkesi provided a platform where non-state actors could present their perspectives, and where legislators could respond, debate, and be held accountable by their constituents.
Oshiomhole said, “In Dopkesi, I saw a man who used his station, first to promote internal conversation between and within Nigerians, but never dedicate the station to running down his country.
“These days, I watch television and I see a Nigerian media station saying Nigeria has happened to you because something negative happened to someone. If anything, there are fairly many Nigerians portraying us as the worst as if nothing good happened in this country.
“Even as we speak, go to Cameroon where a 93-year old man just won another election.
Do we know that Nigeria’s ability to terminate the ambition of a President from altering our constitution was a great accomplishment? AIT played a major role in transmitting that conversation in the National Assembly live without demanding money.
“So when Senators and Reps stand up to talk, they know that their constituents are watching them and would hold them accountable.
“So if we talk about using the media to promote national interest, Dokpesi was there. My only complaint to him, which I was able to do before he transited, is that he made the station available for a political party that didn’t reciprocate in the manner they should.”
Governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, who commended Dopkesi for his contribution to Nigeria’s democracy lamented the growing sycophancy in the political arena.
“I have seen people who in front of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, “said good things), but at his back, they are saying he is the worst thing to happen to Nigeria.”
The President of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku, hailed the late Dokpesi as a visionary who transformed communication in Nigeria.
He described Dokpesi as a pathfinder who broke barriers in media, democratised information, and gave voice to the voiceless.
“At the heart of Dokpesi’s vision was a philosophy that aligns deeply with the soul of our profession, public relations as service to society. He understood that communication is not just about media; it is about meaning. It is about connecting people to truth, leaders to citizens, and nations to the world”, he said.
Friday Olokor, Abuja
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