Former presidential adviser and publisher of the online news outlet KTH Daily, Ima Niboro said that he will step back from day‑to‑day editorial duties after accepting a role as a spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election campaign.
In a statement to readers, Niboro, who once served as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the move was intended to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest arising from his new political assignment.
He said the newspaper’s editorial team will assume full responsibility for news judgment, headlines, commentary and political coverage effective immediately.
“I have never concealed my political convictions. I am a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and have been a vigorous and unapologetic supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” Niboro wrote.
“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. It would therefore create an avoidable conflict of interest, or at least the 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.”
KTH Daily, which publishes as keepingthemhonest.ng, was founded with an editorial philosophy reflected in its name, Niboro said: demanding accountability of both the government and opposition.
He said that separation of his political responsibilities from the newsroom was necessary to protect the outlet’s credibility.
While pledging to “make the strongest possible case for the President and his record,” Niboro said he expected KTH Daily to retain the freedom to scrutinize the Tinubu administration and other political actors “where necessary.”
He thanked the newspaper’s journalists, contributors, partners and readers for their support as he relinquishes editorial control to focus on his campaign role.
The announcement follows growing scrutiny in Nigeria and globally over ties between media owners and political actors, a dynamic that editors say can complicate newsroom independence and public trust.
KTH Daily has expanded rapidly since its launch a little over a year ago, Niboro said.
