President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dramatically reversed recent appointments at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), reinstating Director-General Salihu Dembos after his abrupt and controversial removal just weeks ago.
Authoritative sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the reversal followed a storm of confusion, ministerial embarrassment, and a behind-the-scenes battle for control of Africa’s largest television network.
On Tuesday, the Presidency announced that Tinubu had cancelled the appointment of media entrepreneur Rotimi Pedro as NTA’s new director-general, directing instead that Mr. Dembos be recalled to complete his three-year tenure.
Late last month, the Presidency announced sweeping changes at NTA, installing Mr. Pedro and three other top executives. The decision blindsided not only the broadcaster’s management but also its supervising authorities.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris, under whose ministry the NTA falls, reportedly first learned of the changes through media reports. To his embarrassment, the announcement came while he was leading a three-day citizens’ engagement tour of Enugu and Ebonyi States — with Mr. Dembos and other senior NTA executives still serving on his delegation.
Multiple insiders confirmed that a presidential aide with a background in broadcasting was the key influence behind the appointments. The aide, sources said, painted NTA’s management as “incompetent” and claimed the station was “failing to project government programmes effectively.”
Acting on those submissions, President Tinubu approved the appointments without ministerial input — a move that sparked confusion and anger within the system.
Minister Strikes Back
On returning from the South-East tour, Mr. Idris reportedly sought an urgent audience with the President to register his displeasure. He asked Tinubu for permission to probe the allegations against the NTA leadership, which he later described as “fabricated by vested interests seeking to capture the agency.”
A top presidency insider confirmed:
> “The minister’s findings showed the allegations were spurious. They were deliberately cooked up to mislead the President and install preferred loyalists at the top of NTA.”
Presented with the minister’s report, President Tinubu wasted no time in reversing the controversial changes. He ordered the reinstatement of Dembos as DG and Ayo Adewuyi as Executive Director of News, directing both men to complete their tenures.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, in a statement Tuesday night, confirmed the shake-back:
> “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the recall of Mr. Salihu Abdullahi Dembos, the Director-General of NTA, who briefly vacated the post following some management changes. Dembos will now return to complete his tenure. Similarly, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi has also been recalled as Executive Director of News.”
The move effectively nullified the earlier appointments of a director-general, executive director of news, executive director of marketing, and managing director of NTA Enterprises.
Repeated efforts to reach Mr. Idris for comment proved unsuccessful, as he declined calls and messages from PREMIUM TIMES.
The dramatic reversal has exposed the intense power play surrounding Nigeria’s oldest broadcaster, raising fresh questions about how decisions flow within the Tinubu presidency — and how far vested interests are willing to go in the battle for control of the national airwaves.
PIONEER NEWS 