Two prominent Nigerian politicians have revealed how late media proprietor Raymond Dokpesi played a crucial role in stopping former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged attempt to extend his stay in office beyond two terms.
Adams Oshiomhole, a senator representing Edo North, and Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Regional Development, made the disclosure at the 2nd Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi Diamond Lecture held in Abuja on Saturday.
The event, organised by DAAR Communications and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), had the theme “Communication and Development”.
Momoh, who was a member of the National Assembly during the controversial third-term agenda, said Dokpesi personally telephoned lawmakers to explain the dangers of the proposal.
“During the fifth assembly, when there was an attempt for third term, many people were taking the credits. But Dokpesi is another man who should be credited for what happened because I was a member of the National Assembly, and on 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’,” Momoh said.
The minister added that whilst others claimed credit for defeating the agenda, few knew about Dokpesi’s behind-the-scenes efforts.
“After the whole exercise, people were targeted, and people were taking the credit, and I said, I wish they knew the brain behind ensuring that this agenda didn’t work. He was that very simple man. This is because, apart from using the independent television station, he was calling people one by one, letting them know it was not a good thing and that it must not be supported,” he stated.
The third-term proposal, which emerged during Obasanjo’s second term, sought constitutional amendments that would have allowed a sitting president to contest for a third term. The move sparked widespread concerns about democratic backsliding and potential abuse of power.
Oshiomhole, a former Edo State governor and ex-national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, praised Dokpesi for making Africa Independent Television (AIT) available to lawmakers free of charge during the debate.
“In Dokpesi, I saw a man who used his station, first to promote internal conversation between and within Nigerians, but never dedicated the station to running down his country,” Oshiomhole said.
He noted that AIT broadcast proceedings from the National Assembly live, ensuring legislators remained accountable to their constituents.
“Do we know that Nigeria’s ability to terminate the ambition of a president from altering our constitution was a great accomplishment, and 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 speak, they know their constituents are watching and will hold them accountable,” the senator explained.
However, Oshiomhole expressed disappointment that Dokpesi’s preferred political party did not reciprocate his support adequately.
“My only complaint to him, which I was able to do before he transitioned, is that he made the station available for a political party that didn’t reciprocate in the manner they should have,” he said.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who attended the lecture, commended Dokpesi’s contributions to Nigerian democracy whilst lamenting growing sycophancy in politics.
“I have seen people who are in front of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, but at his back, they are saying he is the worst thing to happen to Nigeria,” Sule remarked.
Dr Ike Neliaku, President of NIPR, described Dokpesi as a visionary who transformed communication in Nigeria.
“At the heart of Dr. 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,” Neliaku said.
Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications, which operates AIT and Raypower FM, died in 2023. He remained a significant figure in Nigerian media and politics throughout his lifetime.
