Nigerian leaders urge media accountability at Editors Conference

Political leaders and candidates addressed the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu, organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors. The event focused on the theme, ‘The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,’ with discussions regarding the role of the press in strengthening democracy and the challenges posed by AI misinformation.

National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi urged editors to hold politicians accountable by scrutinizing their past records and qualifications. He called for issue-based political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections and demanded strict sanctions, including imprisonment, for those involved in electoral malpractice.

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah emphasized that both the government and the media must meet at the ‘point of truth.’ He called for government transparency and urged journalists to use investigative reporting to combat fabricated information generated by artificial intelligence. Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu also commended editors as essential guardians of democracy and custodians of public truth.