The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has responded to allegations of bias regarding its choice to allow Peter Obi and Pat Utomi to speak at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu. The Guild dismissed claims of partisanship, stating that the conference focused on key issues like democracy, elections, and media ethics. According to NGE President Eze Anaba and General Secretary Onuoha Ukeh, the event featured an executive session with governors, political party leaders, and other stakeholders.
The NGE's statement comes after an editorial published by The Nation on October 8, 2026, claimed that “Journalists Failed Journalism.” The Guild argued that the editorial's conclusions lacked factual support. The conference invited several political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The NGE made efforts to ensure their participation, with Anaba reaching out to APC chairman Prof. Nentawe Yelwatda, and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi.
The Guild clarified that the absence of some invitees should not have deterred a willing candidate from attending. They questioned whether such absences should prevent available candidates from participating. The NGE noted that Tunde Rahman, media adviser to President Bola Tinubu, and Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, represented by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, participated in discussions. This, according to the Guild, shows that the conference was not biased towards any particular political party.
The NGE rejected claims that the conference offered a politically biased platform. Vice-President Kashim Shettima also addressed attendees virtually from the United States. The Guild deemed The Nation’s description of Obi’s presence as an “ambush” as misguided, asserting that he spoke at an open professional event attended by editors and journalists. According to the NGE, offering a platform for dialogue is not an endorsement of any political position.
Furthermore, the Guild refuted claims of an “impunity of silence,” emphasising that the conference was public, and a failure to report does not equate to secrecy or professional misconduct. The NGE reaffirmed its commitment to providing platforms for dialogue with political and civic leaders. The Guild called on The Nation’s editorial board to recognise and correct inaccuracies in its editorial.
The NGE's statement was signed by President Eze Anaba and General Secretary Onuoha Ukeh. They emphasised that the conference centred on key issues like democracy, elections, media ethics, artificial intelligence, disinformation, and Nigeria’s future. The Guild highlighted that it had contacted several political parties, including the APC, ADC, and Nigeria Democratic Congress, to ensure their participation.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has called on The Nation’s editorial board to apologise to the Guild and its members. The NGE seeks to correct inaccuracies in The Nation's editorial and reaffirm its commitment to journalistic integrity. Key issues discussed at the conference included democracy, elections, and media ethics.
Key points
- The Nigerian Guild of Editors defends its decision to invite Peter Obi to speak at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference.
- The Guild rejects claims of partisanship and bias in its selection of conference speakers.
- The conference focused on key issues like democracy, elections, and media ethics.
