The Guild of Editors of Nigeria had a “disgraceful outing” at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday where the group paid N16.5million for the Banquet Hall and met with President Bola Tinubu, SaharaReporters has learnt.
SaharaReporters gathered that the editors and media executives coughed up the large sum because the Banquet Hall in Aso Rock had been commercialised.
Hence, on the following day, the meeting continued at the NAF Conference Centre in Kado, Abuja.
“This is also because the presidency wouldn’t allow Tinubu to go out of the Villa and hold events. This has been the case since the coup plot by some military personnel was reported,” a top source informed SaharaReporters.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) used the Banquet Hall at the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock Villa) in Abuja for the opening session of their 21st All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2025) on November 12, 2025.
President Bola Tinubu had declared the conference open and addressed the gathered editors at the event, which was also attended by other top government officials and media executives.
The event on the second day, November 13, 2025, was held at a different venue, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Conference Centre.
“The Guild of Editors of Nigeria had a disgraceful outing at the Presidential Villa where the group met with President because the presidency wouldn’t allow Tinubu to go out and hold events since the coup plot was exposed in a SaharaReporters’ report. The event cost the Guild of Editors N16.5million as the Banquet Hall has been commercialised,” the source explained.
President Tinubu had on Wednesday tasked media practitioners to fulfil their responsibility as the Fourth Estate of the Realm towards nation-building and the sustenance of democracy.
President Tinubu also declared that his administration would consider the requests from the Guild for media tax relief and other interventions that would ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of the media.
The President spoke at the 21st Nigerian Guild of Editors Annual Conference (ANEC) 2025, with the theme, Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: Role of Editors, in Abuja.
He commended the Nigerian Guild of Editors for the commitment of its members to sustaining democracy and national development, urging them to shape public discourse in a constructive manner that strengthens the bonds that hold the nation together.
“This conversation is necessary as we continue to build institutions that are transparent, resilient and trusted by our citizens. Throughout our history, journalism in Nigeria has been more than a profession. It has been an instrument of national awakening. From early newspapers that challenged colonial injustice to the principled voices that kept hope alive during the dark days of the military dictatorship,” Tinubu stated.
In October, SaharaReporters reported how at least 16 senior military officers were detained by the Armed Forces of Nigeria for allegedly planning a coup d’etat to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
A coup d’état is an overt attempt by a military organisation or other government elites to unseat an incumbent person or leadership.
While the Nigerian military in a statement claimed the detention of the officers was linked to “repeated failure in promotion examinations and perceived career stagnation”, top sources revealed that they were actually arrested over a coup plot.
A senior official of the Defence Intelligence Agency involved in the arrest told SaharaReporters that the officers led by an Army Brigadier General were planning to stage a coup and take over government from “selfish politicians”.
He said the coup attempt was thwarted after an intelligence gathering by the DIA and sister agencies.
“The 16 officers were planning a coup. The military authorities were just being diplomatic in the statement released by the spokesperson. They have started doing secret meetings on how to overthrow the President and other top government officials,” the source had told SaharaReporters.
Another source added that the October 1 Independence Day parade was cancelled because of the coup attempt.
