Comrade Alhassan Yahya has emerged as the new National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) taking over from Comrade Chris Isiguzo.
C-Advocate reports that Yahya was declared winner in the early hours of Thursday by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Comrade Mike Ikeogwu, during the 8th Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the union in Owerri.
Ikeogwu said that Yahya, who served as the NUJ’s Deputy National President until his emergence, polled 436 votes to defeat Comrade Bamidele Atunbi, former National Treasurer of the Union who got 97 votes and Comrade Garba Mohammed had 39 votes.
Ikeogwu therefore returned Yahya, who hails from Gombe state, as the duly elected National President of the NUJ.
“By the powers vested in me as Chairman of electoral committee, I hereby declare that Alhassan Yahya, having polled the highest number of votes, is returned as President of the NUJ for the next three years “, he said.
Yahya will, by his election serve as the first NUJ President of North East extraction.
According to the NUJ constitution, he will be in the saddle for three years.
Yahya pledged to serve humbly and with the fear of God, and to “uphold the constitution of the NUJ with all fairness, equity and justice” in the discharge of his duties.
Also elected unopposed was the new Deputy National President, Comrade Abimbola Oyetunde. She is the General Manager, Radio Nigeria Bronze FM Edo State and former Board of Trustee of the union.
Comrade Oyetunde by this feat remains the first female Deputy National President of NUJ.
Other National Officers of the Union were unopposed including the National
Treasurer Comrade Victor Ndukwe who was the former Abia State Council
Chairman, while Ronke Samo was reelected the Vice President of B-Zone
(Southwest) unopposed.
Also elected unopposed was Comrade Eze Adiukwu , the Zonal Secretary (Southeast) of the Union.
