By Kayode Abdulazeez
Correspondents’ Chapel of the Kwara state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has re-elected Channels TV reporter, Abdulhakeem Garba, as its chairman for a second term of three years.
At a keenly contested election, supervised by the state working committee of the NUJ, Garba polled 29 votes to defeat his opponent, Femi Akobi of AIT, who scored 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 Day 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, ‘Lanre Ahmed, described Correspondents’ Chapel election as seamless and emulative.
The council chairman also said that the council was constitutionally guided while supervising over 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 on peaceful conduct of members during the election, said that the election was eventually held, despite crisis that characterized its processes.
It is recalled that 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 which made the state council to set up another credential committee headed by Kehinde Omoloso, 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.
