- Demands Apology
By Chinwendu Agoha (Media & Governance Correspondent)
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has demanded an apology from The Nation newspaper's Editorial Board over an editorial accusing journalists of failing journalism, insisting that the newspaper's editorial board fell short of professional standards by reaching conclusions without establishing the full 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 Yelwatda 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."
Having placed its account of the events on record, the NGE called on The Nation's Editorial Board to acknowledge what it described as omissions in the editorial and tender an apology.
"Now that the facts have been placed on record, the NGE expects The Nation newspaper's Editorial Board, made up of responsible members of Nigeria's media community, to acknowledge the omissions in its editorial and offer an apology to the Guild and its leadership," the Guild demanded.
FULL TEXT OF THE NIGERIAN GUILD OF EDITORS' STATEMENT
TITLE:
IT'S THE NATION NEWSPAPER'S EDITORIAL BOARD THAT HAS FAILED JOURNALISM
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has noted the editorial published by The Nation newspaper under the headline “Journalists Failed Journalism” on October 8, 2026 and considers it necessary to set the record straight.
The editorial makes serious allegations against the Guild and its leadership, including the suggestion that the NGE acted in a partisan manner at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu by allowing Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), and Prof. Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the party to address editors at the conference. That conclusion is simply not supported by the facts.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors is a responsible professional organisation that holds firmly to the cardinal principles of journalism —accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity, independence and accountability. It is therefore regrettable that an editorial accusing the Guild of failing journalism was written by a newspaper of The Nation's calibre without establishing the full facts.
The appearance of Mr Peter Obi and Prof. Pat Utomi at the conference did not amount to support of the NDC, Mr Obi or any political candidate. ANEC 2026 was not organised as a platform for any political party or presidential candidate. It was a professional gathering of editors and other stakeholders devoted to interrogating critical issues concerning democracy, elections, the media, artificial intelligence, disinformation and the future of Nigeria.
The programme of the conference specifically provided for an "Executive Session" on the second day designed to feature governors, political party chairmen and heads of government agencies and parastatals, among other stakeholders. The purpose was to provide a platform for engagement between the media and key actors in Nigeria's political and public space.
It is therefore misleading to isolate the appearance of one political figure from the broader programme and character of the conference and present it as evidence of partisanship.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Guild officially invited political parties, including the chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Nentawe Yelwatda; African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe to participate in the relevant engagement. The invitations were not simply sent and abandoned, but reminders were also sent.
The President of the Guild, Mr Eze Anaba, personally made efforts to secure wider political participation. He spoke with the APC Chairman, Prof. Yelwatda, and the ADC Vice-Presidential candidate, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, in connection with participation at the conference.
The General Secretary of the Guild, Mr Onuoha Ukeh, also personally followed up with Mr Paul Ibe, media aide to the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to encourage the participation of the party and its leaders.
These are verifiable facts. They fundamentally undermine the central premise of The Nation's editorial. If the Guild duly invited the political parties, sent reminders and personally followed up with their leaders and representatives, and some of those invited chose not to attend, why should the Guild be blamed for their absence? Should it prevent a candidate who was available and willing to attend from participating simply because other invited candidates or parties chose not to attend?
The editorial also ignores the broader range of political and governmental voices that featured at the conference. The Guild provided a platform for Mr Tunde Rahman, media adviser to the President, to speak on the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Similarly, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, was represented at the conference by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Vice President Kashim Shettima also addressed editors virtually from the United States. These engagements demonstrate the very opposite of the partisan picture painted by the editorial.
The description of Mr Peter Obi's appearance as an “ambush” is therefore misplaced. He attended a professional conference at which hundreds of editors and stakeholders were present. There is a fundamental distinction between providing a platform for engagement and supporting a political position.
The assertion in the editorial that the Guild's conduct represented an “impunity of silence” is particularly unfortunate. The conference was a public professional gathering attended by hundreds of editors, journalists and stakeholders. The fact that The Nation or another newspaper chose not to report an occurrence does not make that occurrence secret, nor does it establish professional misconduct.
It is particularly ironic to accuse the Nigerian Guild of Editors of “failing journalism” while arriving at a conclusion that does not take account of these material facts. It is The Nation Newspaper's Editorial Board that failed journalism. The Nation's editorial fell short of journalism standard because it reached a sweeping conclusion without establishing the full facts concerning the invitations extended to political parties and the efforts made by the Guild to secure broad political participation.
The NGE remains committed to its professional responsibilities and to the principles of journalism that have guided it throughout its history. It will continue to provide platforms for robust and independent engagement with political actors, public officials, civil society organisations, electoral institutions and other stakeholders, without fear or favour. That is not partisanship. That is journalism.
Now that the facts have been placed on record, the NGE expects The Nation newspaper's Editorial Board, made up of responsible members of Nigeria's media community, to acknowledge the omissions in its editorial and offer an apology to the Guild and its leadership.
Signed:
Eze Anaba
President
Onuoha Ukeh
General Secretary
8/10/2026. NNL.
