February 18, 2025

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Rivers NUJ Election Ends In Chaos Over Govt Officials’ Interference As Caretaker Committee Takes Over

3 min read

Edith CHUKU

The election of new executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Rivers State council, following the expiration of tenure of the Mr. Stanley Job Stanley led administration ended in a stalemate on Wednesday.

It followed the rejection of attempts by some officials of the state government to influence the outcome of the election, leading to a protest by many journalists who were uncomfortable with the move to adopt a consensus option, instead of allowing all accredited delegates to vote for candidates of their choice.

The election was to hold last week, but it had to be rescheduled because it coincided with the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

After the dissolution of the outgone executives, the election umpire was about announcing a resolution believed to have been reached in the office of a commissioner in the state. Apart from the commissioner, another top government official was said to have given instructions on his expectations, if the union was to get the state government’s patronage. The over 200 journalists who besieged the Press Center at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt to cast their votes, insisted that the NUJ leadership must emerge through an election and not a selection process.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, one of the stakeholders of NUJ in the state, Mr. Udede Jim-Opiki, described the alleged resolution to cancel the election and impose handpicked candidates to fill the NUJ leadership positions as sad and shameful.

Opiki, who is a former NUJ assistant secretary and former chairman of sports writers association, noted that “as a journalist of over 20 years standing that the national secretariat officials who are here in Port Harcourt to conduct our election can bridge the due process.

“According to the programme we have, after the dissolution of the past exco, we are moving on to election but that is not happening and you are telling us that you want to read whatever(resolution reached in the office of somebody in governement), no na. We know the rules of election, so, it’s a no situation.”

He demanded that “either we conduct the election or we have a caretaker because as we speak now, the state does not have an exco; the exco has been dissolved. So, if you are not conducting the election now, then you set up a caretaker committee now.”

Opiki added that he was very ashamed that such was happening in a professional body which is known as the watchdog of the society.

“This is the highest level of congress, in the past three years, holding state council congresses, they have not had this attendance. Congress is the highest decision making body. This congress has said we want election and the contestants of various positions have gone round all the chapels, presenting themselves for the various positions, so what is the problem?

“The people who want to vote say they are ready, the contestants are ready, so why are you; the person conducting the election, why are you worried? We want the election now or a caretaker committee be set now.”

Recalling that the NUJ incident was similar to what happened during the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ, state election, the chairperson, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, appealed to those in government to steer clear.

Serekara-Nwikhana urged them not to interfere in the election but allow all the successfully screened candidates to stand for the election for winners to emerge, without any form of imposition.

Meanwhile, a 3-man caretaker committee has been appointed and charged with the responsibility of conducting the election in no distant time

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