An Open Letter to Mr. Abimbola TookiSpecial Adviser on Media and Communication StrategyTo the National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC)

February 19, 2026 

Dear Mr. Abimbola Tooki, 

Exclusion of Accredited New Journalists Is Not Strategy; It’s Sabotage

I write this open letter with a deep sense of responsibility as a concerned stakeholder in Nigeria’s democratic and media ecosystem. First and foremost, allow me to extend my sincere congratulations on your appointment as Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. This prestigious role recognizes your longstanding reputation as a seasoned journalist, columnist, and media strategist with notable expertise in governance reporting, crisis communication, and information management. Your experience positions you well to contribute meaningfully to the party’s communication efforts at this critical juncture. 

As Special Adviser on Media, your office bears profound responsibilities to your principal, the National Chairman; to the All Progressives Congress as the ruling party; to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu; and to the Nigerian public at large. You are tasked with providing strategic direction for media engagement, strengthening the APC’s overall communication architecture, ensuring transparent and timely dissemination of information, managing the party’s public image, and fostering constructive relationships with journalists. This role demands impartiality, inclusivity, and forward-thinking engagement with all accredited media professionals covering the party. By bridging leadership and the public effectively, you help uphold democratic accountability, amplify the party’s agenda, and reinforce public trust in Nigeria’s governance structures. 

At the APC National Headquarters in Abuja, accredited journalists covering the party fall into two distinct categories: the “old guards” and the “new guards.” 

The old guards comprise journalists primarily from traditional media (print newspapers, radio, and television) who were among the earliest to secure accreditation to cover the party. Having been accredited earlier, they formed what is now touted as the APC Press Corps, complete with a rigid constitution that was crafted in the pre-21st century era, long before the emergence of digital media and social platforms. Despite the profound transformation of journalism in the intervening decades, they have steadfastly refused to amend or update this constitution to reflect contemporary realities, thereby preserving structures and privileges that exclude or marginalize newer entrants. They bring deep institutional memory and experience but remain constrained by the inherent limitations of traditional media: rigid editorial processes, delayed publication cycles, gatekeeping, and slower dissemination that can result in filtered or less immediate reporting. 

In contrast, the new guards consist of digitally savvy, urbane, and relatively younger journalists, equally accredited by the party. They harness the full advantages of 21st-century journalism including real-time social media updates, multimedia storytelling, direct audience engagement, rapid fact-checking, and broader reach, enabling faster, more factual, and unmediated coverage that resonates powerfully in today’s digital-first information environment. 

History within the APC provides clear evidence of these differences. During successive national chairmanship tenures, including interactions with the immediate past president and the current president, the old guards often adopted a non-committal posture, hedging reports, prioritizing caution over speed due to their medium’s constraints, and sometimes producing delayed or muted narratives. The new guards, however, have consistently demonstrated agility: delivering fast, factual, and context-rich updates that capture events in real time, shape public discourse more dynamically, and hold events to immediate scrutiny without unnecessary equivocation. 

It is with the greatest respect that I must observe what appears to be a clear bias in favor of the old guards, a preference seemingly rooted in your own distinguished background in traditional media and generational familiarity. Since assuming office, this has been evident in a binary and exclusionary approach: exclusive meetings convened only with the old guards, official press statements distributed solely to them, and welfare support or overtures channeled exclusively in their direction, systematically sidelining the new guards despite their equal accreditation and growing influence. 

Such selectivity risks significant reputational harm to you personally, portraying you as disconnected from the realities of modern journalism and the digital transformation reshaping how Nigerians consume news. More importantly, it carries serious implications for your principal, the National Chairman, by restricting the party’s media outreach and alienating a vibrant, influential segment of the press corps. For the APC, it threatens to stifle diverse, inclusive coverage at a time when digital platforms dominate public conversation, potentially weakening the party’s narrative strength. By extension, this fragmentation undermines the broader interests of the President and the administration, as inconsistent or limited media relations within the ruling party can erode national confidence in effective communication. 

Previous party chairmen offer sobering lessons: many saw their voices muted or distorted because they relied almost exclusively on traditional media gatekeepers, the sole authoritative channels to which the public had long been accustomed. As the Latin maxim reminds us, “Vox populi, vox Dei” (The voice of the people is the voice of God). In an era of diverse and decentralized media, depending on outdated conduits alone invites isolation from the true pulse of the nation and has historically contributed to leadership challenges and diminished influence. 

Fortunately, it is not too late to correct this imbalance. I respectfully urge you to embrace your mandate without fear or favor: extend equal access, inclusion, meetings, official communications, and support to both the old guards and the new guards. By fostering genuine equity, you will strengthen the APC’s media ecosystem, enhance its reach across generations and platforms, better serve your principal and the party, and ultimately contribute more effectively to Nigeria’s democratic progress. 

I remain open to constructive dialogue on this matter and hope this public appeal prompts the positive changes needed. The eyes of many, journalists, party members, and citizens alike, are watching. 

Yours in the service of truth, transparency, and inclusive journalism, 

‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, ANIPR 
Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Courier 
Survey Methodologist, Columnist, and Policy Analyst (TV, Radio, and Print) 
Abuja, Nigeria