Showunmi denounced what he called the increasing lack of professionalism among television hosts in a piece titled “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WHEN BROADCASTERS BECOME THE STORY” that was posted on X on Tuesday night.

It is the responsibility of the station’s management to call television anchors to order when they compromise their professionalism in response to provocation. However, Showunmi stated that the National Broadcasting Commission must intervene once such failure becomes commonplace.

The legislator cautioned that freedom of expression should not be confused with freedom to abuse it and urged the NBC and the Ministry of Information to take action.

Under the pretense of journalism, they cannot continue to organize themselves into self-appointed judges, prosecutors, and state enemies. “There is a distinction between challenging authority and attacking the concept of order itself,” he stated.

However, Showunmi was retaliated against by human rights activist Mahdi Shehu, who accused him of hypocrisy and defended censorship.

You have the option to shut down Arise if you are appointed DG of NBC. Or even now, you can ask Tinubu to close down Arise, Premium Times, Sahara Reporters, and so on, allowing evil to temporarily defeat deception,” Shehu replied.

“Sellouts will try to find another chance to restock and replenish when they have sold everything they have and the profits are decreasing. That’s what the remorseful Segun has to say. Goodbye to an idiotic, foul-smelling piece of garbage.

The call coincides with a live interview on Tuesday discussing the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project between Rufai Oseni and Works Minister Dave Umahi. Questions over the project’s funding and cost sparked a back-and-forth exchange during the conversation.