The Big Brother Naija show since its debut season has become the biggest reality TV show in the country. It has spawned a number of interesting and entertaining characters, who used the screen time afforded them to create highly engaging and unforgettable content.

For this reason, the show has become the most anticipated show all year round, every year, and has the highest viewership in Nigeria. However there seem to be those who are not caught up in the hype.

Following a report from The Cable, it has become public knowledge that Lai Mohammed; Minister of Information and Culture is reportedly against the airing of the Big Brother Naija Season 5, over health related concerns.

Sources: Lai Mohammed asks NBC to stop Big Brother Naija ‘over COVID-19’ | TheCable https://t.co/V89fr2vznG#BBNaija #bbnaijalockdown2020 #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/r00zzJc2z5

— TheCable (@thecableng) July 24, 2020

According to the report, the minister had reached out to the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Armstrong Idachaba, to have him take the show off the airways. His reason for this is the fear that the COVID-19 virus may spread via this platform.

The minister also wanted this directive to come from the NBC, rather than himself. According to inside sources, he did not want to reignite the narrative that he is waging a war against Multichoice. He is also alleged to have launched a political campaign against the network to drive them out of the country, and pave the way for his main consultant to make a return to Pay TV after previously failing.

However, the NBC had reached out to Multichoice over similar health concerns and Multichoice in a detailed letter, had assured them of the strict preventive protocols they had taken, including, two weeks mandatory testing and quarantine before entering the house, disinfecting the house, and hosting a audience free live eviction show.

Later on, the DG would be quoted as simply stating that the BBNaija show will not be taken off the airways. He could not be reached for further comments.

Nigerians on Twitter, have reacted differently to the news of the minister. Some agree with the man based on the decency of the show, while found it difficult to understand what he has against the show.

Lai Mohammed asks NBC to stop #bbnaija because of #COVID19

Moi: Seconded… ?

— Adetutu Balogun, MBA (@Tutsy22) July 24, 2020

There must be something else behind this. Come clean. #CryingMoreThanTheBereaved https://t.co/VyeR04F3Hw

— idowubakare (@idowu_bakare) July 24, 2020

The last bastion of sanity in Nigeria. Lai Mohammed really wants to punish you people https://t.co/DawPVoPqGX

— #NigerianPoliceReform (@Cicerorian_) July 24, 2020

Good news at last. I can't have my children watch that show for whatever reason. It'll amount to me endorsing indecency and immorality as another means of getting wealth.

— M. D. BULUS (@MatawalBulus) July 24, 2020

First time Lai Mohammed is making sense https://t.co/AkABsZ6DyX

— Chinex®✌ (@chinex_NG) July 24, 2020

Lai Mohammed should focus on issues that actually matter like recalibrating that deceptive propagandist cluster of cells he calls a brain amongst other things. BbNaija is NOT our problem.

— RVZIEL (@rvziel_Kain) July 24, 2020