By Comfort Olayinka
The National Assembly New Media Forum (NANMF) has strongly condemned sensational media reports that exaggerated a verbal gaffe made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a recent plenary session, warning that such distortions undermine responsible journalism and embarrass democratic institutions.
Akpabio had mistakenly said, “Nigeria is proud of the way Tinubu was honored and buried,” before quickly correcting himself — a moment some media outlets amplified into headline news.
Describing the incident as a “harmless slip of the tongue,” NANMF Chairman Clement Nwabuko criticized the reportage as a deliberate attempt to score cheap political points and mislead the public.
“It was a simple slip, which the Senate President corrected immediately. Turning it into sensational news is neither ethical nor professional,” Nwabuko said.
He stressed that the error clearly referred to former President Muhammadu Buhari, not the sitting President, Bola Tinubu, and accused the offending media outlets of ignoring context for the sake of virality.
“Akpabio is human. Mistakes happen. What we find disturbing is the intent to weaponize this moment against him and the institution he represents,” he added.
The NANMF further warned that such trivialization risks eroding public trust in both the media and the National Assembly.
“This kind of sensationalism reduces the credibility of our profession and ridicules the Senate as a whole,” Nwabuko noted, calling for a return to “impactful journalism that serves the nation.”
He also urged older-generation journalists to evolve with the times by utilizing verified digital sources such as official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of public officials and institutions to ensure accuracy.
“There is no shortage of substantive news. We must prioritize facts over clickbait,” Nwabuko concluded.
