Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media & Special Duties, Chief Tunde Rahman, on Fridaychallenged the Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, over criticism of the administration at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu.
took the stage Friday night and demanded equal time for the government.
“Distinguished Editors, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank you for the honour to speak to the conscience of the nation.
I commend the Nigerian Guild of Editors for giving me this opportunity. Because these times are critical, we are preparing for a most consequential election next January and February. So we must ensure balance of media space. If you allow the opposition to speak as you have done with the NDP Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, the government too must speak.
So I commend the NGE for this.”
In a speech already trending on Facebook and WhatsApp, Rahman gave a strong definition of where democracy lives in Nigeria:
“Now, democracy lives in three places: The Ballot, the Barracks, and the Newsroom. The soldiers have returned to the Barracks. What is left is the Ballot and the Newsroom. If either fails, democracy fails.”
He said the Tinubu administration is committed to protecting the ballot:
“The ballot is the only thing that makes a market woman equal to a billionaire. For four hours on election day, they have the same power. Our job, as political actors and as government, is to protect that power — to ensure that votes count, that BVAS works, and that INEC remains independent.”
“But the ballot alone is not enough. Elections can produce the wrong outcome if the people are not informed.”
Charging editors as the real keepers of democracy, he said:
“You are not just reporting politics; you are keeping democracy alive. When you verify a fact, you keep democracy alive. When you give opposition and government equal space to be interrogated, you keep democracy alive.”
On AI disinformation and fake results, Rahman warned:
“In this age of AI, fake news, and deepfakes, your task has become harder. Anyone can sit on WhatsApp and announce a fake election result. Only you can debunk it with credibility.”
In what many at The Dome in Enugu interpreted as a direct jab at opposition politicians who are popular on social media, Rahman declared:
“We now have politicians who only prepare to contest elections on social media, not by campaigning to the people. Elections call for serious preparation. You cannot want to win a national election when you cannot even produce candidates across the country.”
*Tinubu Has Done The Hard Part — Prosperity Next*
Rahman then reeled out what he called gains of President Tinubu’s reforms, insisting the economy was on life support when Tinubu took over:
“Our message is simple: The President has done the hard part. When President Tinubu came on board, the Nigerian economy was on life support. He instituted bold reforms that have brought the economy back from the brink, and the gains are already emerging.”
Listing the gains, he said:
“The Naira has stabilised.
– Our GDP has grown for 7 consecutive quarters.
– Our foreign reserves are at their highest in 5 years.
– Food inflation is coming down — now around 15 percent, as a matter of fact 15.3% in August this year following the NBS.”
He admitted critics call them macro-economic numbers:
“You will say these are macroeconomics. But they matter. Without macro economic stability, you cannot even think of any impactful micro. Without a stable foundation, you cannot build the house.”
“For us, the next phase is the micro. It has already started. The CBN has just reduced interest rates. More relief will come as we move along.”
Making a pitch for 2027, he told editors: “That is why we say: Let us allow President Tinubu to complete the work by electing him for another 4 years. The reforms are done. Prosperity is next.”
Rounding off with a three-point plea to the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Rahman said:
“Let us punish lies with facts.
– Let us punish propaganda with professionalism.
– Let us not let clicks kill credibility.
“The media should not be pro-APC or pro-LP or pro-PDP. It should be pro-Nigeria, pro-Ballot, pro-People.”
“If the ballot is free and the media is fair, democracy will not just survive in Nigeria, it will thrive.”
