Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday delivered a carefully calibrated address to the Nigerian media, acknowledging their role as watchdogs who ask "difficult questions" and hold government accountable, while simultaneously cautioning them against becoming "willing couriers of falsehood" or amplifiers for those who "wish to harm us."
Speaking at the maiden State House Media Corps Presidential Dinner in Abuja, Tinubu framed the relationship between government and the press as one of "partnership and healthy democratic rivalry" . "Government exists to serve the people through leadership and policy. The media exists to watch those entrusted with power, ask difficult questions and hold government accountable," he said.
He described the inherent tension between both institutions as necessary for democracy to thrive. "Government must act. The media must watch. Government must explain. The media must question. That arrangement guarantees a certain level of tension," the president said.
Tinubu declared himself "an apostle of a free press" and cited Sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution as guaranteeing press freedom and freedom of expression . Section 39, he noted, guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression and the right to establish and operate media institutions, while Section 22 places upon the media the noble responsibility of holding government accountable.
However, his remarks came with a pointed warning: "Freedom of expression is not freedom to defame. Freedom of the press is not freedom to deliberately mislead. Rights come with responsibilities".
The president expressed concern over "misinformation, disinformation, fake news, voice and facial cloning and deep fakes," describing them as the "drawbacks of the social media age" . He urged journalists to "choose fact over falsehood, substance over sensation, credibility over clickbait and the endless race for followers, likes and viral outrage".
Tinubu defended existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, as measures designed to "protect citizens and preserve the integrity of our information ecosystem," rather than to "weaken press freedom".
This assertion has been met with skepticism. Critics have repeatedly raised concerns about the use of the Cybercrimes Act to prosecute journalists and activists, including the recent trial of Omoyele Sowore, who spent nine days in Kuje Correctional Centre over social media posts critical of the president. While Tinubu assured that the laws were not intended to gag the press, the practical application of these provisions remains a source of tension between the media and the executive.
Tinubu urged journalists to "replace needless hostility with constructive engagement" and "replace sensationalism with professionalism" . "Let us replace the pursuit of outrage with the pursuit of truth," he said.
He also cautioned the media against becoming "megaphones for terrorists and kidnappers," warning that "we must not undermine our country with irresponsible reporting. If we do, we will have no safe space left".
For all his eloquent rhetoric, Tinubu's address left several questions unanswered. If the Cybercrimes Act is not intended to weaken press freedom, why has it been used to prosecute journalists who criticize the government? If the media are partners in nation-building, why are government officials often inaccessible to reporters? And if press freedom is sacred, why are journalists still arrested, detained, and prosecuted for doing their jobs?
The president's words were a step in the right direction, but the proof of his commitment to press freedom will be measured not by his speeches, but by his actions.
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