The NGE says leaders of major political parties and representatives of the Tinubu administration were invited to its Enugu conference.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has rejected accusations that it favored opposition politicians at its recent All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu, insisting that the event was designed to engage public officials and political actors from across the spectrum.
In a statement signed by President Eze Anaba and General Secretary Onuoha Ukeh, the Guild challenged an October 8 editorial in The Nation titled ‘Journalists Failed Journalism’. The newspaper had questioned the participation of Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi and political economist Pat Utomi.
The Guild said the conference programme included an executive session intended for political leaders, governors, government agencies and other stakeholders. It maintained that giving a public figure an opportunity to speak was not equivalent to endorsing that person’s political position.
According to the NGE, invitations and reminders were sent to the chairmen of the All Progressives Congress, African Democratic Congress and Nigeria Democratic Congress. The Guild said its officers also contacted representatives of leading political figures in efforts to secure broader participation.
It pointed to appearances by presidential media adviser Tunde Rahman, a representative of Information Minister Mohammed Idris and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who addressed the gathering virtually, as evidence that the conference was not restricted to opposition voices.
The editors’ body acknowledged the newspaper’s right to scrutinize its conduct but argued that criticism should account for the complete conference programme and the invitations issued. It asked The Nation’s editorial board to correct what it called misleading impressions and apologize.
The dispute highlights a continuing debate over how professional media organizations can question political actors openly without being seen as aligned with particular parties. The NGE said it would continue to provide platforms for independent engagement.
