The presidency has described the Daily Trust newspaper as unreliable and questioned its journalistic integrity, accusing the publication of distorting facts and promoting divisive narratives against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the comments in a statement posted on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.
I can now confirm that the Nigerian newspaper, Daily Trust, operates as the antithesis of its name. While it demands public trust, going by its name, it consistently and unabashedly distorts facts to serve a parochial agenda. It inflames religious passions with false narratives,… pic.twitter.com/8E1fV4WsJq
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) August 31, 2025
He alleged that the paper has engaged in negative coverage of the Tinubu administration, publishing what he described as malicious fabrications intended to damage the government’s image and stir ethnic discord.
Onanuga also argued that the paper undermines national cohesion by evaluating government policies from what he called a narrow regional perspective.
“I can now confirm that the Nigerian newspaper, Daily Trust, operates as the antithesis of its name. While it demands public trust, going by its name, it consistently and unabashedly distorts facts to serve a narrow agenda. It inflames religious passions with false narratives, as seen in its sensationalist coverage of the Samoa agreement, for which it had to apologise,” he wrote.
He criticised the paper for repeating what he described as false claims of uneven allocation of federal projects.
“Facts are stubborn. Because they are the truth, they will always triumph over falsehood,” Onanuga stated.