British broadcaster, Piers Morgan, and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, traded words over the latter’s request that his interview on the show be aired unedited or manipulated.
Tuggar said on Wednesday that he appeared on Morgan’s show to present “a factual and contextual perspective on the misleading narratives and allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria”.
The minister said his explanations may not have conformed to certain preconceived views but maintained that they were supported by verifiable data.
“However, for the sake of integrity and transparency, it is essential that the full interview be aired exactly as recorded, without edits or selective omissions. Nigeria’s truth must not be distorted to fit external biases,” Tuggar asked of Morgan.
Morgan, in response, said Tuggar’s demand for an unedited airing demonstrated panic.
“You seem to be panicking, foreign minister. Rest assured, we will air your comments in full; the show is called “Uncensored” for a reason,” the broadcaster said on Thursday.
“Whether people believe what you said remains to be seen.”
Tuggar brushed off the broadcaster’s remarks with a tongue-in-cheek reply.
“I am as cool as a cucumber, Mr Morgan. And if I wasn’t more equable, I would say you are flattering yourself, but I won’t. Just want to make sure you don’t edit out the parts where you kept referring to the ‘Chibok Boys’! Well researched,” he said.
Tuggar’s response appeared to mock Morgan’s supposed mix-up of the Chibok girls — the schoolgirls abducted in Borno state by Boko Haram in 2014.
The interview has yet to be released on Morgan’s YouTube channel as of press time, with no word from the broadcaster on when it would be aired.
