Tony Akiotu has emerged chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) after defeating Raymond Dokpesi, the same man who ended his tenure as group managing director at DAAR Communications in 2024.
Mr Akiotu, now chairman of MS4TV Communications, secured 62 votes to defeat Mr Dokpesi, chairman of DAAR Communications, who polled nine votes in the election held in Abuja on Wednesday, April 8.
In his acceptance speech, Akiotu thanked BON members for their support and described the election outcome as a mandate to strengthen the broadcasting sector. He said he would lead with transparency, professionalism and a focus on innovation, while stressing the need to follow regulatory frameworks to ensure a credible media environment.
The election comes two years after Akiotu exited DAAR Communications, the parent company of African Independent Television, Raypower and Faaji FM, following a management shake-up carried out by Dokpesi.
Announcing the decision at the time, the company said: “A decision has been taken to retire members of executive management who have spent over 10 years in executive capacity in compliance with the Company’s Internal Control Policies and Procedures Manual.”
Those asked to go were Tony Akiotu, Oluwatosin Dokpesi, Ambrose Somide, Anthony Uyah, Paulyn Ugbodagha, Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi, Faith Ikems, Imoni Amarere, John Iwarue and Johnson Onime.
The statement added: “These executives have completed their tenure of two five-year terms, marking a pivotal transition in DAAR Communications’ leadership.”
Ahead of the BON election, Dokpesi said the decision to remove the former management was necessary for the survival of the company. According to him, the situation required firm action despite emotional considerations. He said the transition took more than a year due to internal resistance, salary arrears and tensions within the organisation.
“High Chief Tony Akiotu spent a long time at DAAR Communications and he has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the organisation. As an individual and as a professional, I have a lot of respect for him and I wouldn’t want the BON election to escalate or create more tensions than necessary,” Dokpesi said.
“But to put certain things into context, a number of things happened immediately after the passing of my dad, which kind of set the tone for how other things happened,” he added.
He also explained that an emergency board meeting was convened without his knowledge shortly after his father’s death, which led to further tensions within the company.
Dokpesi maintained that Akiotu’s tenure had run its course and that the management had accumulated salary arrears and presided over a decline in revenue.
“They were in the driving seat for 15 years when they built up salary arrears running into billions. I felt it would be suicidal for me to say I want to continue in this trajectory, so something needed to give and unfortunately, or fortunately, as the case might be, since the decision was taken, we have made slow but steady progress in stabilising the affairs of the company. We are making progress,” he said.
Dokpesi added that although the process may have caused resentment, he believed it was the right decision for the company.
Responding, Akiotu rejected the claim that the former management mismanaged the company. He said major decisions taken during his tenure were subject to board approval and oversight.
“It was embarrassing and almost ridiculous that the chairman of a board that presided over meetings and approved management memos could accuse the same management of attempting to run the company aground,” Akiotu said.
He added that the company expanded significantly under his leadership, growing into a media brand with presence across Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.
While acknowledging that the retirement of executives could be justified, Akiotu said the manner of their exit and the public comments about their performance were unfair.
“And today, if Raymond Dokpesi Jnr has inherited the company and believes we are no longer part of its story or deserving of recognition, we leave posterity and Nigerians to judge,” he said.
Speaking after his election, Akiotu called for unity among members of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, saying collaboration among media organisations is necessary to address challenges in the industry.
