The Guardian denies the accusations made by the Nigerian Presidency.
The Guardian newspaper has vehemently refuted the president’s claims that, through its recent coverage of Nigeria’s economic circumstances, it was seeking to stir up unrest and promote regime change.
The denial follows accusations made by Bayo Onanuga,
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, who blasted the newspaper’s headline, “Misery, harsh policies driving Nigerians to desperate choices,” on October 26.
The management of The Guardian issued a detailed statement calling the accusations made by the presidency “a patent misrepresentation,” stressing that the contentious piece was “a factually balanced, dispassionate, well-researched and intensive report” that looked at Nigeria’s civilian government from the beginning to the present.
Nothing in the paper promotes, disseminates, supports, or implies a military takeover of the existing administration, as the Special Adviser recommended,” the publication said.
Citing its constitutional duty under Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution to “uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people,” the Guardian, which has been in operation for more than 40 years, reiterated its dedication to journalistic independence.
Noting that it had previously experienced “unlawful detention and imprisonment of its journalists, arson attempt on its premises, and assassination attempt on its founding publisher,” the daily cited its history of defying military control.
Citing President Tinubu’s campaign
Pledges to address Nigerians’ issues and offer “true and innovative solutions,” the newspaper justified its story as an attempt to draw attention to residents’ worries about the country’s current situation.The statement concluded, highlighting the newspaper’s dedication to responsible journalism while upholding its watchdog role in society: “The Guardian is unapologetically pro-good governance and will continue to advocate national prosperity.”
“The story is a factually balanced, impartial, thoroughly researched, and comprehensive report that chronicles Nigeria’s civilian administration from its inception to the current state of affairs. It contains no hateful or inciting elements, remarks, innuendos, or connotations against the national and sub-national governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in contrast to the assertion made in the press statement.
“With the hope that the government will take the required actions to address the issues, the publication merely compiled the worries of Nigerians from all social strata over the concerning state of the country. Nothing in the study supports, encourages, or recommends the Special Adviser’s suggestion of a military takeover of the existing administration.
The statement goes on to say
“The Guardian has proactively shown an unwavering commitment for more than 40 (forty) years to the promotion of intellectual excellence, balanced coverage of events, consistently upholding the interests of justice, equity, fair play, and the rule of law, pursuing integrity in public life, advancing the best interests of professional ethics and responsible journalism, in Nigeria, Africa, and globally, under the tenets of truth, accuracy, objectivity, and accountability.”
The Guardian views the seat of government with great respect and is steadfastly devoted to the ideals of federalism, democracy, and the rule of law. On the other hand, it strongly opposes any kind of coercive governance, including military dictatorship, autocracy, and misrule in general. The Guardian won’t do anything or encourage others to do anything that could undermining the current, hard-won civilian regime for which it fought so hard.
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