Veteran broadcast journalist Sulaiman Aledeh officially rejoined Channels Television’s flagship breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday morning.

Marking his return precisely ten years after his departure, Aledeh described his comeback as a “full circle”, reflecting on the changing face of Nigerian politics and the crucial role of professional journalism in holding the nation together.

The hosts, Maupe Ogun and Kayla Megwa, welcomed Aledeh back with a rendition of the classic track Home, Sweet Home, framing his return as a long-awaited homecoming.

Addressing long-standing industry rumours that his exit a decade ago was the result of a rift with the station’s management, both Aledeh and the show’s presenters put the speculation to rest.

“I never thought this day would come, but here it is: the 1st of September, 2026. The mothership called, and we returned to the mothership,” the Edo-born Aledeh said. “It is humbling. It is more like a homecoming… It’s a full circle. I remember I left with lessons, but I’m back with experience.”

Responding to the lingering rumours, the host added: “Some actually thought that maybe Sulaiman and Channels were beefing, that they were not on good terms… But again, this is it.”

A Call for the ‘Complete Gang’

During his previous tenure at Channels Television over a decade ago, Aledeh was a central figure on Sunrise Daily, working alongside notable co-anchors to turn the programme into one of Nigeria’s premier morning agenda-setters. The team gained widespread acclaim for their incisive political interviewing, particularly during their record-breaking, non-stop broadcast coverage of the landmark 2015 general elections.

Following his departure, Aledeh spent ten years expanding his professional footprint across various other broadcast stations and media enterprises. Returning as a more seasoned, grey-haired broadcaster, he joked light-heartedly about ageing like “fine wine” but noted that one key piece of the puzzle remained missing.

Signalling his desire to reunite the original broadcasting team, Aledeh issued a direct, light-hearted call to his former co-anchor, Chamberlain Usoh.

“I don’t feel completely complete yet — and I’m saying this so that if Chamberlain is listening, I want him back on set,” Aledeh remarked. “That’s how we will have what I call a full circle: the complete gang.”

Aledeh offered a candid assessment of how Nigeria’s socio-political environment has shifted during his ten-year absence from the station.

“Quite frankly, in 10 years, we’ve seen that Nigeria has changed a whole lot,” he observed. “We have new entrants into the political space, we have what I call ‘gendered politics’ that some have brought into the space, and we’re seeing people who have continuously remained there and evolved.”

Despite these political shifts and the rise of unverified digital commentators in the media ecosystem, Aledeh mounted a strong defence of traditional, accountable broadcasting.

“One beautiful thing about it all is that journalism has remained what it is, professional and accountable, even though we’ve seen some infiltration by wannabes who thought that’s how they should report the news,” he said.

He underscored the duty of the press in maintaining national stability as the country prepares for future electoral cycles: “The key theme I want to take home is that Nigeria is still together… Over the years, journalists have kept this country together, irrespective of the risks they experience when they go out there covering the news.” (Channels)