Outrage as journalist who exposed Kemi Adeosun’s NYSC scandal says ‘Pantami ties with terrorists’ should be ignored 

Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, a former associate editor of PREMIUM TIMES has come under severe attack on social media. 

Abdulaziz who currently works as deputy editor at Daily Trust urged Nigerians to ignore the past ties Minister of Communication, Isa Pantami had with terrorists.  

There has been controversy about this since last week following a report by Daily Independent that Pantami was on the U.S. watchlist for his ties with Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations.  

Although the newspaper has retracted the story and Pantami has also denied any affiliation with the groups.

During his days at PREMIUM TIMES, Abdulaziz, exposed the NYSC certificate scandal of Kemi Adeosun, ex-minister of finance.

The journalist won several awards with the report. Also, Adeosun resigned and later left the country in shame. 

But on Thursday, Abdulaziz asked Nigerians to forget about the Pantami’s alleged scandal.

“On @DrIsaPantami: Yes, public officers deserve all the scrutiny. But while we’re at it we’ve to be thorough, fair & nuanced. Yes, we can dig into the past but passing judgement would have to be alongside context and current realities. A lot of people have had a severed past.

“We all have a past. Not everyone will escape if our past actions and speeches are used against our present positions. Opinions and stands do change in the face of new knowledge or facts, or even maturity. And being progressive, other than dogmatic, is the whole mark of great minds.”

Reactions

Many commentators on Twitter have called out Abdulaziz, accusing him of being ‘biased’.

See comments below: 

David Hudeyin: You are an utterly disgusting human being.

@coolboy_lanre: If you did not consider Kemi Adeosun’s past should be left in the past, why think @DrIsaPantami ‘s dangerous ‘past’ should be left in the past. You are a shameless hypocrite. Let Pantanmi first come out to say he doesn’t support Jihad anymore & that he opposes Al-Qaeda’s tenets.

@Chylife6: The forged nysc certificate of kemi Adeosun was it not her past but you made sure she was sacked and replaced by a Fulani? Now you just remembered that we all have a past?@Abdulfagge or abdulshege you are a hypocrite.

@DavidMorgan2345: Big hypocrite… when it comes to the north, they seek for pardon but when it is from the south, they ask us to resign. The past orchestrate the present which will give birth to the future.

@Doctor_C_Okojie: Look at this disgusting bigot fellow. Remember how you did Kemi Adeosun dirty, now we are going to do your terrorist apologist brother @DrIsaPantami same. Kind regards.

@osagie_otus: Double Standards when it’s not an Arewa involved. There’s overwhelming evidence that a man in charge of all our data has extremists tendencies, you say everybody has a past. Continue.