On Sunday, April 23, 2023, the Sunday Trust carried a controversial editorial with the above heading, with the content calling to question the integrity and character of the Adamawa State APC gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani.
I am, to say the least, disappointed with the newspaper that I hold so dearly for its stand for the truth and unarguably, the most fair among the nation’s daily news staples in its coverage and editorials.
Indeed, I consider myself a family member of the Trust Group, having been privileged to be a pioneer member of the Daily Trust Editorial Board and had maintained a weekly column and had written at least two editorials, one of which was even after I withdrew my membership and rejoined civil service.
I do not know what went wrong, but certainly that editorial on the controversial Adamawa governorship election should not have passed as such, and does not merit a space under that highest category. At best, the content may pass for an opinion article by an individual and not the stand of Daily Trust.
The editorial did nothing, but defamed, ridiculed and belittled Sen. Binani since her side of the story was not considered. The Sunday Trust cannot rely solely on information dished out by INEC and pretend that it is fair, ethical and nothing but truth, considering the whole saga was widely publicised, including the glaring charade where the state government, in the middle of the night, allegedly cornered the Fufore Local Government Returning Officer, holed him at a police station and forced him to write false figures.
But chiefly among the other important points that the paper completely ignored is the fact that a sitting Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), was illegally suspended by two National Commissioners that had no powers to do so, and were only there to supervise the election, but ended up usurping his authority, which led to the decision he took to retake his mandate (supported by sections 147 and 149 of the Electoral Act) and performed his legitimately assigned role as REC.
While it is my belief that the Adamawa State APC candidate may be heading to the tribunal to reclaim her overturned victory, the call made by the editorial that Sen. Binani should apologise to the nation, is proof that the Daily Trust take on the controversy is biased. I feel it is the paper that should apologise to the senator with the hope that she does not sue for character assassination.
Aminu Iyawa is Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Mexico, an APC stalwart and Managing Director of Kodde Communications Limited.
