The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on the Editorial Board of The Nation newspaper to issue an apology following an editorial that accused journalists of failing in their professional duties, arguing that the newspaper’s editors breached journalistic ethics by drawing conclusions without confirming all the facts.
The Guild, in a statement issued by Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, President and General Secretary respectively, in response to the editorial published on Thursday, October 8, 2026, said The Nation’s editorial board omitted key facts concerning the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) held in Enugu, particularly the efforts made by the Guild to secure the participation of major political parties and their representatives.
The newspaper’s editorial, titled “Journalists Failed Journalism,” had questioned the decision of the NGE to allow Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Prof. Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the party, to address editors at the conference.
The Nation’s editorial reportedly portrayed their appearance as evidence of partisanship by the Guild, a position the NGE strongly rejected.
According to the Guild, the conclusion was not supported by the facts surrounding the conference, which it said was designed as a “professional forum for editors and stakeholders to discuss critical national issues, including democracy, elections, journalism, artificial intelligence, disinformation and the future of Nigeria.”
The NGE said the conference programme specifically provided for an “Executive Session” on the second day, involving governors, political party chairmen, heads of government agencies and other key actors in the political and public space.
It argued that the participation of Obi and Utomi should therefore be understood within the broader framework of the conference rather than isolated and presented as evidence that the Guild supported the NDC or any political candidate, stressing that its decision to provide a platform for political engagement did not amount to endorsement of any party or candidate.
The Guild said, it officially invited representatives of major political parties, including the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yelwatda; the chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark; and the chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, to participate in the relevant engagement.
It added that the invitations were followed up with reminders, stressing that the effort to ensure broad political participation went beyond simply sending formal invitations.
The Guild said its President, Eze Anaba, personally engaged some political leaders in an effort to secure wider participation.
According to the statement, “Anaba spoke with APC Chairman Yilwatda and the ADC Vice-Presidential candidate, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, concerning their participation in the conference.”
The NGE further said its General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, personally followed up with Mr. Paul Ibe, media aide to ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to encourage the participation of the party and its leaders.
The Guild argued that these efforts contradicted the central argument of The Nation editorial, while questioning why it should be held responsible when political parties that were invited and reminded about the conference ultimately failed to attend.
The NGE said it would have been inappropriate to prevent a political candidate who was available and willing to participate simply because other invited candidates or political parties chose not to attend.
The Guild noted that Tunde Rahman, senior media assistant to President Bola Tinubu, addressed the conference on the administration. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, was also represented at the event by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alhaji Ali M. Ali, while Vice President Kashim Shettima addressed the editors virtually from the United States.
The NGE said the participation of these officials and representatives demonstrated that the conference provided a broad platform for engagement rather than a platform designed to favour a particular political party or candidate.
It consequently rejected The Nation editorial’s description of Obi’s appearance at the conference as an “ambush ” insisting that the NDC presidential candidate attended an open professional gathering involving hundreds of editors, journalists and other stakeholders, and his participation should not be confused with an endorsement of his political position.
The Guild maintained that there was a fundamental difference between providing a platform for engagement and supporting a political position, while taking an exception to the editorial’s reference to an “impunity of silence,” describing the characterization as unfortunate.
The Guild said it was particularly ironic that it had been accused of “failing journalism” by an editorial which, in its view, failed to take into account material facts surrounding the invitations extended to political parties and the subsequent efforts to secure their participation.
“It is the Nation’s Editorial Board that failed journalism,” the Guild declared, arguing that the “newspaper’s editorial fell short of journalistic standards by reaching a sweeping conclusion without establishing the full facts.”
The NGE reaffirmed its commitment to what it described as the cardinal principles of journalism, including accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity, independence and accountability.
It promised to provide platforms for independent engagement among political actors, public officials, civil society organisations, electoral institutions and other stakeholders “without fear or favour”, emphasising: “That is not partisanship. That is journalism.”
What You Should Know
The conflict between the Nigerian Guild of Editors and The Nation newspaper highlights ongoing tensions regarding how media bodies handle political figures at public conferences. The NGE is defending its professional integrity after being accused of bias for inviting opposition figures to its annual event.
- Positive Impact: This dispute highlights the importance of fair journalism, rigorous fact-checking, and transparency when media organizations host public figures and political stakeholders.
- Potential Concerns: Public arguments between prominent media outlets and professional bodies can damage public trust in journalism and deepen perceptions of political polarization within the press.
