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The Nigerian Guild of Editors has accused The Nation newspaper’s Editorial Board of failing journalism by criticising its decision to allow Peter Obi and Prof. Pat Utomi to address editors without establishing the full facts surrounding the conference.
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The Guild says it invited the APC, ADC and NDC leadership to participate in the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu and made personal efforts to secure wider political representation.
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The NGE insists that Obi’s appearance did not amount to an endorsement of the NDC, citing the participation of representatives of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and other government officials at the conference.
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The Guild has demanded an apology from The Nation, maintaining that providing a platform for political engagement is consistent with the principles of fairness, balance, objectivity and editorial independence.
October 09, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has hit back at The Nation newspaper’s Editorial Board over its criticism of the Guild’s handling of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, accusing the newspaper of failing journalism and demanding an apology.
The Guild, in a statement signed by its President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, on Thursday, October 8, 2026, rejected the newspaper’s editorial titled “Journalists Failed Journalism”, describing its conclusions as unsupported by the facts surrounding the conference.
The Nation’s editorial questioned the decision to allow 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, raising concerns about the Guild’s political neutrality.
However, the NGE maintained that the participation of the two political figures did not amount to an endorsement of the NDC, Obi or any political candidate.
In a forceful response, the Guild accused The Nation’s Editorial Board of reaching a sweeping conclusion without establishing the full facts about the conference and the efforts made to secure the participation of major political parties.
“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 statement read.
The NGE explained that the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference was organised as a professional gathering to examine critical national issues, including democracy, elections, journalism, artificial intelligence, disinformation and the future of Nigeria.
According to the Guild, the conference programme specifically provided for an executive session on the second day, designed to bring together governors, political party chairmen, heads of government agencies and other key stakeholders in the country’s political and public space.
It argued that isolating Obi’s appearance from the broader programme and presenting it as evidence of partisanship misrepresented the purpose of the gathering.
NGE Lists Efforts To Secure Political Participation
To counter allegations of political bias, the Guild said it officially invited the chairmen of three major political parties to participate in the relevant engagement.
They included the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Chairman, Senator David Mark; and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe.
The NGE said the invitations were followed by reminders and personal engagements by its leadership to encourage wider participation.
According to the statement, Anaba personally spoke with Yilwatda and the ADC vice-presidential candidate, Chibuike Amaechi, concerning their participation in the conference.
The Guild added that Ukeh also followed up with Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, to encourage the participation of the party and its leaders.
The NGE said these efforts undermined the central argument of The Nation’s editorial, insisting that it had made deliberate attempts to ensure that the conference accommodated different political perspectives.
It questioned why the Guild should be held responsible when invited political parties and their representatives failed to attend despite the invitations and follow-up efforts.
The Guild further argued that it would have been inappropriate to deny Obi the opportunity to participate simply because other invited political leaders or parties chose not to attend.
It maintained that providing a platform for political engagement was fundamentally different from endorsing a candidate or supporting a political party.
Tinubu’s Administration Also Featured At Conference
The NGE also cited the participation of officials and representatives of President Bola Tinubu’s administration as evidence that the conference was not designed to favour the NDC or Obi.
It said Tunde Rahman, a senior media aide to the President, addressed the gathering on the administration, while the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, was represented by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali M. Ali.
Vice President Kashim Shettima also addressed the editors virtually from the United States, according to the statement.
The Guild said the participation of these officials and representatives demonstrated that the conference provided a platform for engagement with different political and governmental voices.
It consequently rejected The Nation’s description of Obi’s appearance as an “ambush,” insisting that the NDC presidential candidate attended an open professional gathering involving hundreds of editors, journalists and other stakeholders.
“There is a fundamental distinction between providing a platform for engagement and supporting a political position”, the Guild said.
The NGE also took exception to the editorial’s reference to an “impunity of silence,” describing the characterisation as unfortunate.
It argued that the conference was a public professional gathering and that the decision of The Nation or another newspaper not to report an occurrence did not make it secret or establish that professional misconduct had taken place.
NGE Accuses The Nation Of Ignoring Material Facts
The Guild said it was regrettable that a newspaper of The Nation’s standing would accuse it of failing journalism without, in its view, establishing the full facts surrounding the invitations extended to political parties and the efforts made to secure their participation.
It maintained that responsible journalism required accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity, independence and accountability, arguing that these principles should guide both news reporting and editorial commentary.
The NGE reaffirmed its commitment to providing platforms for independent engagement among political actors, public officials, civil society organisations, electoral institutions and other stakeholders without fear or favour.
It insisted that allowing political figures to participate in discussions on national issues should not be interpreted as an endorsement of their political positions.
“That is not partisanship. That is journalism”, the statement declared.
The Guild said its response was intended to place the facts surrounding the conference on record and address what it described as omissions in The Nation’s editorial.
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Guild Demands Apology
The NGE concluded by demanding that The Nation’s Editorial Board acknowledge the alleged omissions in its editorial and apologise to the Guild and its leadership.
It said the newspaper’s editorial had made serious allegations against the Guild without adequately considering the efforts undertaken to secure broad political participation at the conference.
“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 statement said.
Background
The controversy followed The Nation’s October 8, 2026, editorial, titled “Journalists Failed Journalism,” which criticised the NGE over the participation of Obi and Utomi at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu.
The newspaper questioned the implications of allowing the two NDC figures to address editors, while the Guild maintained that their participation was part of a broader programme intended to facilitate engagement between the media and political leaders.
The NGE said it invited the APC, ADC and NDC leadership and made additional efforts to secure their participation, arguing that the absence of some invitees could not justify excluding a political candidate who was available to attend.
At the heart of the dispute is the distinction between providing a platform for political engagement and endorsing a candidate or party. The Guild insists that facilitating discussions among competing political actors is part of journalism’s professional responsibility, while demanding that The Nation acknowledge what it describes as material omissions in its criticism.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
