Nigeria's media regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, has fined one of the country's major television stations, Channels TV.
This followed what the commission called an ''inciting interview'' with the vice presidential candidate of the opposition Labour Party, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, on the outcome of February's elections.
The commission said it had monitored the live interview during which the senior opposition politician made comments capable of causing ''public disorder.''
The country's official news agency, NAN, quoted the head of the media watchdog, Balarabe Shehu Illelah, as saying “Dr Baba-Ahmed said it will be unconstitutional to swear in an elected president on May 29, 2023, because of election irregularities” in the interview on Wednesday.
Mr Ilelah said the comments in Channels TV's flagship programme Politics Today violated the country's broadcasting code.
The media regulator has therefore asked the TV station to pay a penalty of five million Naira (nearly $11,000). The television station has not yet commented publicly on the matter.
This development comes just over a month since Nigeria held presidential elections won by the ruling party while Mr Datti's party came third. The opposition are challenging the election results in court alleging irregularities.
The winner, Bola Tinubu, is due to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.
