The challenge of the Daily Times, whose stiff competition on the eve of Nigeria's independence compelled the nationalist press to modernize at huge costs (Azikiwe, 1994), and its exposure of the foibles and inconsistencies of nationalist politicians became a source of concern to the latter. The nationalist press, which echoed the resentments of politicians, viciously attacked the Daily Times, threatening the paper with nationalization at independence, both for its 'commercial journalism' and its 'unwholesome journalistic imposition', which allegedly threatened Nigeria's emergent democracy. The West African Pilot focused on the issue in editorials for much of June 1957. In one such editorial, the paper wrote