Abdulkareem re-elected Kwara NUJ Chair

Chairman of the Kwara State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Abiodun Abdulkareem yesterday was re-elected for fresh tenure of three years in a keenly contested elections. Abdulkareem polled 164 votes to defeat his only arch-rival, Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu of Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Kwara, who polled 86 votes. The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Malam Isa Jeti, declared Abdulkareem winner of the election, which was held at Abubakar Olusola Saraki Pen House on Offa Road, Ilorin, Kwara State capital. Also, Umar Abdulwahab of Blueprint Newspapers emerged as Assistant General Secretary with 139 votes to defeat Abdulrasheed Okiki who polled 110 votes. Sulyman Aremu of State Information Chapel was declared winner as the Treasurer with 126 votes. He defeated Kuburat Shamsudeen of Harmony FM, who had 122 votes. However, Babatunde Jimba of Kwara State Television Authority (KwaraTV) and Mrs Bello Bashirat Bola of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ilorin, had emerged as General Secretary and Vice Chairman respectively unopposed. Shortly after the polls, the state's Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, commended journalists for the peaceful and successful polls. A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary , Abdulwahaab Oba, Ahmed congratulated the newly elected executives and commended members of the union for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election. He noted that as the watch dog of the society, the NUJ is believed to be the foremost association that should set standard and lead by example as displayed during the election. “The Governor charged the new executives to work as a team and consolidate on the achievements of the last executive in the state. He also pledged his government’s support to journalists in the state even as he charged leadership of the union to come forward with new ideas. “The Governor commended those who lost in the struggle to thank their members for their passion for selfless service and admonished those elected to be magnanimous in victory,” the statement said. Similarly, Ahmad in a statement issued in Ilorin on Wednesday by the Director of Publicity of his Campaign Committee, Shuaib Abdulkadir, commended the union for conducting peaceful, free and fair election, which produced executive members that would pilot the council’s affairs for the next three years. The statement said: “While describing the union as an integral part of the society that could not be wished away, Ahmad expressed hope and confidence that the elected executive members would continue to work in the best way to sustain the union’s legacy. “He admonished other contestants that lost at the polls not to see themselves as failures but rather strive to come back stronger in the next three years. “The speaker, however, advised the winners of the election to find a way of accommodating other contestants with a view to working collectively for the progress of the NUJ. Reacting to his victory in a chat with National Pilot, Abdulkareem commended members of the fourth Estate of the Realm for their conduct and promised to consolidate on the achievements of his administration in the last three years.