Niboro Steps Back From KTH Daily Editorial Role After Joining Tinubu Campaign

Publisher of KTH Daily (www.keepingthemhonest.ng), Ima Niboro, has announced that he is stepping back from the day-to-day editorial direction of the newspaper following his appointment as one of the spokespersons of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Council.

Niboro, a former presidential spokesman and former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the decision was necessary to avoid any conflict of interest, or perception of one, arising from his new responsibility to publicly articulate and defend the case for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

In a statement to readers, Niboro said he had never concealed either his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or his strong support for President Tinubu and his administration.

He, however, said accepting a formal position in the President’s campaign created a different set of responsibilities that made it inappropriate for him to continue exercising editorial control over a newspaper expected to independently cover the government, the opposition, and the 2027 presidential contest.

“I have never concealed my political convictions. I am a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and have been a vigorous and unapologetic supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration. Our readers have always known where I stand,” he said.

Niboro added that while there was nothing inherently incompatible between a journalist holding political views and practising journalism, formally joining a presidential campaign imposed an obligation to create a clear separation between his political responsibilities and the newspaper’s editorial decisions.

“My appointment places me directly within the campaign structure, with a responsibility to articulate, defend, and advance the case for President Tinubu’s re-election,” he said.

“I believe it would therefore create an avoidable conflict of interest, or at the very least, a reasonable perception of one, for me to continue exercising editorial control over a newspaper that must report on the President, his administration, his opponents, and the 2027 electoral contest.”

Niboro said that with immediate effect, KTH Daily’s editorial team would assume full responsibility for the newspaper’s news judgement, headlines, commentary, political coverage, and other editorial decisions without interference from him.

He said the decision was particularly important because the newspaper’s founding philosophy was embedded in its name, “Keeping Them Honest,” stressing that the obligation to demand accountability must apply equally to government and opposition, incumbents and challengers, political allies and adversaries.

He said he plans to undertake his new campaign assignment with conviction and determination to make “the strongest possible case for the President and his record before the Nigerian people.”

He nevertheless stressed that KTH Daily must retain the freedom to scrutinise the Tinubu administration and campaign where necessary, in the same way it would scrutinise opposition candidates and other actors in the political process.

“My new political responsibilities should not confer undue editorial advantage or indeed disadvantage on the campaign I represent, nor impose the same on those who oppose it,” Niboro said.

He described credibility as journalism’s most valuable asset, saying protecting it sometimes required sufficient distance between individual interests and the independent judgement of a newsroom.

Niboro, who expressed pride in KTH Daily’s growth in just over a year, thanked the newspaper’s journalists, contributors, partners, and readers for their support.

“As I take up this new responsibility, I ask you to continue holding KTH Daily to the standards its name demands as the newsroom does its job and I release myself to do mine,” he said.