NGE Hits Back At The Nation, Demands Apology Over ANEC Editorial

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has rejected an editorial by The Nation newspaper accusing journalists of “failing journalism” over the participation of New Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and party chieftain, Prof. Pat Utomi, at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu.

The Guild, in a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, on Thursday, said The Nation’s Editorial Board itself “failed journalism” by reaching a sweeping conclusion without establishing the full facts surrounding the conference.

The Nation, in an editorial titled “Journalists Failed Journalism,” had questioned the decision to allow Obi and Utomi to address editors at the conference, arguing that their participation raised concerns about the Guild’s neutrality and suggested partisanship.

But the NGE said the conclusion was “simply not supported by the facts,” stressing that ANEC 2026 was a professional gathering designed to provide a platform for discussions on democracy, elections, journalism, artificial intelligence, disinformation and Nigeria’s future.

According to the Guild, the conference programme specifically provided for an “Executive Session” involving governors, political party chairmen, heads of government agencies and other key stakeholders in the political and public space.

It said Obi’s participation should therefore be viewed within the broader context of the conference and not isolated as evidence of support for the NDC or any political candidate.

The NGE disclosed that it had officially invited the chairmen of major political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yelwatda; African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairman, Senator David Mark; and NDC chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, to participate in the relevant session.

The Guild said reminders were also sent and its leadership made personal efforts to secure wider political participation.

It said Anaba personally spoke with Yelwatda and ADC Vice-Presidential candidate, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, about their participation, while the General Secretary, Ukeh, followed up with Paul Ibe, media aide to ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The Guild consequently questioned why it should be blamed for the absence of political parties or candidates who had been invited but failed to attend.

“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 NGE asked.

The Guild also pointed to the participation of senior government officials and representatives at the conference as evidence that ANEC was not designed to favour any political party.

It said Tunde Rahman, senior media aide to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, addressed the conference 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), Alhaji Ali M. Ali.

Vice President Kashim Shettima also addressed the editors virtually from the United States, according to the Guild.

The NGE rejected The Nation’s description of Obi’s appearance as an “ambush”, saying the former Anambra governor attended an open professional gathering involving hundreds of editors, journalists and other stakeholders.

It stressed that providing a platform for political engagement was fundamentally different from endorsing a political party or candidate.

“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 Nation’s reference to an “impunity of silence”, describing the characterization as unfortunate.

It argued that ANEC was a public professional gathering and that the decision of a newspaper not to report an occurrence did not make the event secret or establish professional misconduct.

The Guild maintained that it was particularly ironic for The Nation to accuse the NGE of “failing journalism” while, in its view, the editorial itself failed to take into account material facts about the conference.

“It is The Nation Newspaper’s Editorial Board that failed journalism,” the Guild declared.

According to the NGE, The Nation’s editorial fell short of journalistic standards by reaching a sweeping conclusion without establishing the full circumstances surrounding the invitations extended to political parties and the efforts made to secure broad participation.

The Guild reaffirmed its commitment to accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity, independence and accountability, saying it would continue to provide platforms for engagement among political actors, public officials, civil society organisations, electoral institutions and other stakeholders.

“Without fear or favour. That is not partisanship. That is journalism,” it said.

Having placed its account of the events on record, the NGE demanded that The Nation’s Editorial Board acknowledge what it described as omissions in the editorial and apologise to the Guild and its leadership.