NGE defends Obi’s conference participation, denies partisanship
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has rejected allegations of partisanship over its decision to allow Peter Obi and Pat Utomi to address participants at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu.
The Guild was responding to an editorial published by The Nation on October 8, 2026, titled “Journalists Failed Journalism.”
In a statement signed by its President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the NGE said the editorial’s conclusion was not supported by the facts.
It said the conference was a professional gathering focused on democracy, elections, the media, artificial intelligence, disinformation and Nigeria’s future.
According to the Guild, the conference programme included an executive session featuring governors, political party chairmen, heads of government agencies and other public stakeholders.
It said political parties were invited to participate, including the All Progressives Congress, the African Democratic Congress and the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The Guild said reminders were sent to the parties and that its leadership made additional efforts to secure their participation.
It said Anaba contacted APC chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yelwatda and ADC vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, while Ukeh followed up with Paul Ibe, media aide to ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The NGE said the absence of some invitees should not have prevented an available candidate from attending the conference.
“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, should it prevent a candidate who was available and willing to attend from participating?” the statement asked.
The Guild also rejected the claim that the conference presented a one-sided political platform.
It said Tunde Rahman, media adviser to President Bola Tinubu, spoke on the administration, while Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, was represented by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima also addressed the editors virtually from the United States, the Guild said.
It described The Nation’s characterisation of Obi’s appearance as an “ambush” as misplaced, arguing that he attended an open professional conference attended by editors, journalists and other stakeholders.
“There is a fundamental distinction between providing a platform for engagement and supporting a political position,” the statement said.
The NGE also rejected the editorial’s reference to an “impunity of silence,” saying the conference was a public event and that failure by a newspaper to report an occurrence did not make it secret or amount to professional misconduct.
The Guild said it remained committed to providing platforms for engagement with political actors, public officials, civil society organisations, electoral institutions and other stakeholders.
“That is not partisanship. That is journalism,” it said.
The NGE called on The Nation’s editorial board to acknowledge what it described as omissions in the editorial, correct the resulting impressions and apologise to the Guild and its leadership.
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