The Correspondent Chapel of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kwara state elected new executives on Wednesday, with Channels TV reporter, Mallam Abdulhakeem Garba, reelected as chairman for a second term of three years.
At the keenly contested election, supervised by the state working committee of the NUJ, Mallam Garba polled 29 votes to defeat his opponent, Femi Akobi of AIT, who scored just 9 votes.
Other elected officials of the chapel are Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus of NAN who scored 23 votes to defeat her opponent, Kehinde Akinpelu of Daily Times, who scored 15 votes for the position of Treasurer.
The Financial Secretary position was won by Sikirat Shehu of Business News with 26 votes against her opponent, Lukman Oyedeji of Channels who scored 12 votes.
The positions of the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Auditor were won unopposed by Biola Azeez of the Nigerian Tribune, Kayode Abdulazeez of the Nigerian Pilot, Taiye Joseph of the Graphics and Mosunmola Ayobami of the Western Post, respectively.
Speaking after the election, the chairman of the Kwara state council of the NUJ, Mallam Abdullateef Ahmed, described the Correspondents’ Chapel election as seamless and emulative.
The council chairman also said that the council was constitutionally guided while supervising the process of the election, adding that membership requirements of the council, as stated by the constitution, should be respected by members.
The NUJ chairman, who expressed happiness in the peaceful conduct of members during the election, said that the election was eventually held, despite the crisis that characterized its processes.
It is recalled that a few members of the chapel had petitioned the state council of the union, accusing the credential committee set up by the chapel of bias.
The development made the state council set up another credential committee that eventually midwifed Wednesday’s chapel election.
The NUJ chairman said that disagreement among members, especially during elections, should not be allowed to disintegrate the union, adding that elders of the union should be respected at all times.