Connect with us

Opinion

Sahara Reporters, Maikudi And University Of Abuja, By Abdulgaffar Olatumbosun

Published

11 months ago

on

 

Journalism has always fascinated me for its power to reflect society, inform the public, and hold institutions accountable. My decision to study Communication and Media Studies at the University of Abuja was fueled by this passion. Over time, I have come to understand that journalism is not merely about storytelling or breaking news—it carries deep ethical responsibilities, including accuracy, balance, and integrity.

Advert

Unfortunately, these principles seem to be diminishing in many media organisations today. Rather than prioritizing objectivity and fairness, some outlets have embraced sensationalism, bias, and even outright falsehoods. This troubling trend has been evident in the recent media coverage surrounding the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi. It is almost as if the institution has been singled out for relentless attacks, with reports that are sometimes misleading, exaggerated, or outright false.
At the forefront of this media onslaught is Sahara Reporters, an online outlet that once attracted the public because of its coverage of wide range of issues. However, over time, it appears to have become simply a platform for personal vendettas, sensationalism, and in some instances, for those who are prepared to offer a price.
In just the last four months, the platform has published over 40 news stories about the University of Abuja, 38 of which are negative.
Many of these reports relied on spurious, unnamed sources, unverified documents, and unsubstantiated claims, resulting in cheap and puerile blackmail. I remember some sensational headlines such as “43 UniAbuja Profs, Members of Senate Accuse Vice-Chancellor Maikudi of Singlehandedly Fixing Varsity’s Convocation Date.” One amateur video was headlined, “Drama As Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Maikudi Allegedly Sends Vigilantes To Manhandle Professors At Senate Meeting.”
In taking a closer look at most of the stories about the University, it becomes difficult to ignore the possibility that Sahara Reporters is being used by some interests who want to run the University of Abuja down or who desire a certain candidate to be imposed as vice-chancellor by the Council, instead of Maikudi, who was appointed through a transparent and due process. Even at this moment that I write, this online platform remains notoriously unrepentant in what I will refer to as its “bring them down journalism.” One of its most recent stories published on 29th January 2025 cried, “UNIABUJA Crisis: Vice-Chancellor Maikudi Removes Senior Academics Opposing Her Appointment From HOD, Director Positions –Sources.”
The story went on to state that “Maikudi has replaced these experienced individuals with inexperienced junior lecturers, some of whom have been assigned to head departments unrelated to their field of study.” The so-called sources went ahead to describe the University as “being in a state of decay, with academic culture deteriorating rapidly,” and reported that the staff were replaced because they “rejected the ‘illegal’ vice- chancellor.” I have never seen this level of subjectivity in news reporting and writing. These subjective frames are thrown carelessly with high level subjectivity.
But the University of Abuja and individuals like Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi would not be the first victim of its attacks. The platform’s credibility has nosedived and been called into question numerous times, with a growing number of individuals and organisations filing lawsuits over defamatory and libelous reports. Some notable individuals that it has attacked include former Senate President and Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki; Senator Dino Melaye over claims that he had not graduated from Ahmadu Bello University; and Dr Daniel Olukoya, General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, over a defamatory report published in 2013. In 2023, the Nigerian Army threatened legal action after Sahara Reporters published an article alleging that the military was planning a coup. There is litany of such and related cases in the public domain, where the outlet was sued for libel.
Of recent, it is embroiled in legal tussle over its libellous report on the Inspector General of Police.
Yet, there are many other individuals who have been maligned and defamed by Sahara Reporters that never considered going to court as an option. I think the University, and indeed its vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi is in this group. They will probably be contented with the fact that except for the unsuspecting public, many take the Sahara Reporters stories about the University with a pinch of salt. A glance at the comment sections of the SR Facebook posts reveals a growing scepticism about their journalism. Readers are calling out the platform for its obsession with attacking the Vice-Chancellor and the University and asking them to get their sources and news verified. For instance, one Josephine Adama asked, “Why won’t you guys leave this young beautiful woman alone? Do you hate her because she is a woman, or because she is not your candidate? What I read about her in other platforms speak highly of her.”
Another commenter, Jonah Simeon said, “SR, please can you be more ethical in your reporting? Stop maligning the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, you have a duty to be honest and objective. Not running fake stories on her.”
And I quite agree with some of these commenters. Though there are a few who are deceived by the stories in the SR, and joined to castigate the university, media platforms have a duty to inform the public truthfully and uphold the highest ethical standards, not hiding under advocacy to assassinate the character of reputable people and institutions in the country.
But does the SR care about ethics? It is unlikely. In fact, more of these childish, blackmailing reports about the university will make their headlines because it seems that it is through blackmail that the medium makes its name.
As a student of communication and media studies, I will always see journalism as a noble profession built on accuracy, fairness, and transparency. And I advocate that those who stubbornly violate it should be sanctioned appropriately by regulatory bodies, like the ombudsman.
As for the so-called sources who are busy trying to destroy their university by attempting to tarnish their image, I am happy that the Senate of my university has made a bold decisive pronouncement against them. The management of the University has now been empowered to deal with them, if they continue to destroy the image of the university and attack the head of this institution unjustly. It is not that any amount of negative press can erase the progress being made at the University of Abuja in the last six months or so or tarnish the leadership of those genuinely working to improve the institution. It is just that because of the respect the profession has, and those of us who look up to practising it do not get discouraged by the few unprofessional platforms such as the Sahara reporters.

Related Topics:

Opinion

From Zamfara roots to national vision: Aliyu Muhammad Adamu, seasoned media leader, returns home to serve his people.”

Published

11 hours ago

on

January 4, 2026

By

 

Aliyu Muhammad Adamu was born on 29th December 1982 in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, into the respected Adamu Joji family.

He hails from a lineage that includes notable family members such as Alhaji Sanda Adamu Tsafe (Sarkin Yakin Tsafe), Alhaji Aliyu Adamu (Danmadami), Alhaji Sani Adamu, Hajiya Khadija Adamu (Gwoggo Dala), and Hajiya Amina, among others.

His father, Muhammad Adamu (popularly known as Nata’ala), later relocated to Kano State in pursuit of business expansion. As a result, Aliyu and his siblings were raised in Kano, where he began his early education at Da’awa Primary School, Kano.

Driven by a strong connection to his roots, Aliyu returned to Zamfara State for his secondary education, attending Unity Secondary School, Gummi. He subsequently gained admission into Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where he obtained both his Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree, graduating in 2010.

Advert

After completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Aliyu faced the realities of life with resilience and determination, navigating through challenges that shaped his character and leadership capacity. In 2014, he returned to Zamfara State and began his professional career in the media industry with Gamji Television and Radio.

Through dedication, hard work, and professional excellence, he served the organization for nearly ten years, rising through the ranks to become the General Manager of the station, an achievement that underscored his leadership, administrative competence, and commitment to public communication.

In 2023, Aliyu voluntarily resigned from the media organization and relocated to Kano State in pursuit of broader opportunities and personal development. Today, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to his people, Aliyu Muhammad Adamu is preparing to return to his hometown to seek the support and mandate of his people. His aspiration is to represent our parents, brothers, and sisters at the federal level, with a clear vision of contributing meaningfully to the development, unity, and overall progress of Zamfara State.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Opinion:The Anatomy Of A Hoax- Setting The Record Straight On Governor Abba Yusuf

Published

1 day ago

on

January 4, 2026

By

 

 

​By Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure

​The recent wave of political “scoops” regarding the purported defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved beyond mere speculation into a coordinated campaign of character assassination. Most notably, reports by Daily Nigerian claiming the Governor’s move was “postponed” are masterpieces of fiction, designed to paint a sitting Governor as indecisive and subordinate. As a witness to the political realities in Kano, I find it necessary to dismantle these fallacies with the facts that the purveyors of this rumor have conveniently ignored. In Nigerian politics, defection is a statutory process requiring a formal resignation from one’s current party. To date, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has not submitted any resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). To claim that a “finalized arrangement” for a Monday registration existed is a procedural hallucination; one cannot join a new house without first stepping out of the old one.
​Furthermore, the narrative suggests the Governor’s plans were shelved because he failed to seek the “blessings” of local APC bigwigs. This is a laughable distortion of executive power. History is replete with Governors who defected based on executive conviction without the interference of local APC “big wigs.” We have seen this with the Governor of Delta vs. Senator Omo-Agege, the Governor of Bayelsa vs. David Lyon and Minister Heineken Lokpobiri, the Governor of Rivers vs. Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Plateau vs. the current National Chairman of the APC. More recently, the defections of Governors like Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) proved that when a Governor moves, he does so as the new leader of the party in his state. It is also historically hypocritical to label such a move as “betrayal.” When Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013, he did not seek permission from any person or leadership—he led a rebellion based on his own conviction. If it was “principled politics” for the godfather then, it cannot be “betrayal” for the Governor now.

Advert

​What, then, remains for a Governor who already holds the overwhelming mandate of his people? It is a known fact that Governor Abba Yusuf moves with the ironclad support of almost 95% of the Kano State House of Assembly, 50% of the National Assembly members from the state, all 44 Local Government chairmen, and the entire grassroots party structure. The desperate attempt by the NNPP National Working Committee to dissolve the Kano executive committees is a futile, “too-late” maneuver that only confirms their loss of control. When a Governor commands such total loyalty, he does not ask for permission; he leads. The defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is inevitable if he so wishes, as he carries the entire political soul of Kano with him.
​The theory that the APC postponed this move because Senator Kwankwaso is not coming along simply does not hold water. Kwankwaso’s refusal to join the APC is a settled matter; it is alleged the President offered him a ministerial position or the Chairmanship of the soon-to-be resuscitated Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), both of which he rejected after his demand to join the Presidential ticket was denied. Using this stalemate as a pretext for the Governor’s “indecision” is a transparent lie aimed at making the Governor look like a political appendage. It is disheartening to see Daily Nigerian abandon objective journalism to frame the Governor as a “betrayer.” If Governor Abba Yusuf chooses to move, he does so as a leader of a massive political movement. The media must stop concocting stories to mislead the public. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf remains focused on his mandate. These rumors are merely the desperate gasps of those who wish to see Kano in perpetual turmoil.

​Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure writes from Shanono Local Government, Kano State. He can be reached at ahmedtsaure28@gmail.com.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Your Excellency, the Governor of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf: Welcome to APC the People’s Party

Published

5 days ago

on

December 31, 2025

By

 

By Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,mti,Kent,UK, former special adviser on public affairs to former Governor H/E Ganduje

It is with a heart full of joy and a spirit of unity that we welcome a true son of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf into the fold of the APC, the people’s political party and the largest political party in Africa.

Governor Yusuf, an‑engineer by profession and the elected leader of our great State since May 2023 has already made a lasting imprint on Kano State. Sir, thanks.

His bold intention to declare a state of emergency on education allocating a remarkable 30 % (more than 26% of prescription by UNESCO) of the state budget to schools has turned the tide for countless children of downtrodden to be educated and enlightened. From solar‑lit streets that brighten our nights to a N50,000 monthly support for 5,200 women entrepreneurs to cushions economic precarity, his initiatives echo the APC’s vision of a prosperous future, inclusive of the benefits of former councillors in the 44 LGA of Kano State. Also, the benefits of pensioners which have not been paid a long time ago. I’m sure that the next special advisers’ benefit will be on the line.

Hence, the countless roads construction and rehabilitation at both metropolitan and rural areas has been going on without delay. Your Excellency, these gigantic policies by His Excellency have been the same with the central government under His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.

Advert

The APC, under the steadfast guidance of Chairman Prince Abdullahi Abbas and the former national chairman His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to receive Governor Yusuf “with open arms”. This invitation is not a political maneuver but a sincere call for unity, reconciliation, and collective responsibility values that will combine our strengths for the progress of Kano State and the entire nation. Take note that today Nigeria is on the way to political, economic and social reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria will be on the same pathway with other economic emerging markets of the Global Southern Hemisphere.

As we extend this warm embrace, we also look forward to the synergy of your seasoned leadership and the APC’s grassroots energy. Together, we shall:

*Strengthen our education sector, ensuring every child has a desk, a book, and a future especially on science, technology and innovation

*Boost agriculture, healthcare system, transport, security and strengthen women‑empowerment programmes that lift families out of poverty. Drive infrastructural development that lights up our streets and connects our markets. And again, this writing and understanding that there’s the need to create “New Kano” as has been done in other nations like Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and other developing nations of the world.

Governor Yusuf, your presence today is a testament to the power of partnership and with that Kano State will be the next commercial centre of Africa. We pledge to walk hand‑in‑hand with you in APC, to build a Kano that shines brighter than ever before the creation of the State in 1967. With your presence in APC the election year of 2027 will be a work over in Kano State and the nation at large.

Thank you, and welcome home!

Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,pl.sc,political strategy and communications consultant and care taker chairman former special advisers to former Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

Continue Reading

Trending