Tinubu commends Anaba, says Editors’ Guild election outstanding

On Saturday, President Bola Tinubu congratulated the recently elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, calling the electoral process an excellent representation of Nigerian politics.”By its peaceful and rancour-free conduct of elections to elect its new officers, the NGE has sent a resounding message to the larger Nigerian polity that elections for desired offices can be intensely competitive without degenerating into bitterness, acrimony, and unnecessary malice,” read a statement from Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake, on Saturday evening. ⁣ ⁣
The Guild chose Anaba, the Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, at its 2023 Biennial Convention on Friday, June 16 in Imo State. Bolaji Adebiyi, a former employee of ThisDay Newspapers, was his lone opponent; he received 250 votes to defeat him.Anaba takes over for Mustapha Isah of the Silverbird Group, whose two-year term was up.Despite the ferocity of the competition for the various positions up for grabs, Tinubu said it is most satisfying that the result was successful and sour-free.⁣ ⁣
He asserted that it is crucial that the various newspaper industry unions, including the NGE, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, adopt an internal democratic ethos in support of professional integrity for the country’s good governance, stability, and long-term development. “The NGE has, in this regard, made a strong statement for the Nigerian media as a worthy exemplar,” the President said. In this regard, Tinubu commended those who came up short in the elections on various levels, including Adebiyi, for embracing the results and pledging support for the victorious candidates. “This is a light that the NGE is showing that the rest of us may find the way to a mature, tolerant, stable and sustainable democratic culture,” he stated. The President did point out that the media faces greater obstacles than in the past when it comes to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, maintaining constant check on the exercise of power, and promoting good, responsible, and accountable governance.

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Going down memory lane, Tinubu emphasised the media’s historic contribution to the fight against colonial imperialism and how it had been closely tied to the fate of the Nigerian state and its citizens. It is impossible to write the history of the democratic benefits we have experienced since the start of this dispensation in 1999 without emblazoning the late Chief MKO Abiola’s victory in the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Beyond the emergence of new leaders, Tinubu argued that the bigger picture is to make sure that the Guild members put the profession in a strong position to consistently fulfil its constitutional obligation of acting as a watchdog of the people in policing government excesses and advancing the greatest good of the greatest number of our citizens. Therefore, he promised that his administration would work with the media and support him in achieving “these lofty objectives in the best interest of our country.” ⁣