Protest, Irregularities Truncate NAWOJ Election

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

At least, over 100 members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) staged a peaceful protest, a situation that truncated the scheduled election for the FCT chapter.  

The protest started few minutes past 1p.m on Saturday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Secretariat in Utako, Abuja, the proposed venue for the election. 

News Rider reports that the protest was instigated by visibly angry female journalists, who were informed on the last-minute changes to use the NUJ Identity Card for accreditation.

This, they described as fraud and irregularities in the electoral process, just as they wondered why the same rule was not applicable during the NAWOJ National Delegates’ Election. 

Recall that the Executive members of the FCT chapter of NAWOJ were dissolved earlier on Saturday to pave the way for a peaceful election before members staged a peaceful protest. 

In a chat with News Rider, some members insisted that the identity cards of media organisations, which was agreed to be used for accreditation, remained the valid criteria for voting and not the NUJ Identity card. 

A member of the Correspondent Chapel, Ruth Tene noted that the Congress had agreed that the identity cards of media organisations should be used for accreditation and voting, adding that it was obvious that they (some members) were overwhelmed by the crowd and decided to frustrate the entire process. 

Tene, who is also the Publisher of EarthNews Nigeria said: "Insisting that members must pay NUJ dues to participate in NAWOJ election is an anomaly, considering that members had paid NAWOJ dues, so why not wait to hold members to ransom during the NUJ election.

"It is not yet over until it is over because members of the association set up a caretaker committee yesterday as stated in the constitution. 

"However, some people are trying to avert the process, but we are still watching to make sure the process is not truncated."

Tene lamented that shortly after members of NAWOJ had set up a seven-member caretaker committee yesterday, that the National executives of NAWOJ set up another committee without the input of the congress.

Reacting, the Director General of WE LEAD Campaign Team, Princess-Ekwi Ajide lamented that the stalemate at the NAWOJ FCT election underscored the need for reformation within the organisation. 

She informed that 'We LEAD Campaign Team' promised to address issues of transparency, foster unity, strengthen leadership, and reconnect with the core concerns of its members which are crucial steps to ensuring that NAWOJ FCT, remains a robust and effective force in advancing the rights and interests of women journalists in the FCT. 

But the Chairman, Credentials Committee, Mrs Dorcas Jonah while addressing members yesterday, informed that the directive to use the NUJ Identity card for accreditation and voting was from the National President of NAWOJ, Hajia  Aisha Bura.

“The national president said that we should put this election on hold since we are not using the NUJ ID card,” she added.