Incumbent Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Delta State Council, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, has been re-elected for a second term as NUJ Delta Council.
He defeated the immediate past Secretary of the Council, Comrade Churchill Oyowe by Four votes to clinch a keenly contested election, hd at the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Labour House in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.
Comrade Mike Ikeogwu of The Warri Correspondents Chapel, scored 206 votes to defeat his former secretary and opponent, Comrade Churchill Oyowe of the Ministry of Information Chapel, who scored 202 votes out of the 408 delegates that participated in the exercise.
Other elected officers are: Comrade Salvation Ogono of the Ministry of Information Chapel, who polled 232 votes to defeat his opponent, Comrade Victor Sorokwu of Asaba Correspondents Chapel, who scored 176 votes, to emerge vice chairman of the council.
Comrade Patrick Ochei of the Indigenous Correspondents Chapel, scored 243 votes to defeat Comrade Toju Teri, of the Ministry of Information Chapel, who got 160 votes to emerge as Secretary.
Comrade Felix Ekwu of Delta Broadcasting Service Warri Chapel, scored 216 votes to beat Comrade Thelma Ellogu of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA Asaba Chapel, who score 192 votes, to emerge Assistant Secretary, while Comrade Celestine Afokoba of Federal Ministry of Information Chapel, scored 209 votes to defeat Comrade Balogun Mabamije of the State Field Information Chapel who scored 191 votes to emerge victorious as State NUJ Auditor.
Mrs. Joy Mordi, of Local Government Information Chapel, the only female member of the newly elected Delta State NUJ Exco, was elected unopposed for the position of Treasurer.
The victorious candidates immediately took their oath of office and were sworn-in as the new Exco members to pilot the affairs of Delta NUJ for the next three years.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected Delta NUJ Chairman, Comrade Mike Ikeogu expressed gratitude to members of the Delta NUJ who deemed him worthy to be returned for a second term and pledged that he would do his best to reposition the union and take it beyond where it is presently.
He declared that his second term will be dedicated to correcting the lapses noticed in his first tenure and while urging those who participated and lost in the election to join hands with his exco to move the Union to greater heights, said that it is only by working together that the Delta NUJ can take it’s pride of place in the state.
“I still want to say clearly that in this election, there is no Victor and no vanquished. All of us are one. I want to call on those who lost in this election to join my exco to move the union forward. Let’s put every acrimony aside. Let’s put every anger aside and forge ahead as one united body as that’s the only way we can take our pride of place in the scheme of things on the State,” Comrade Ikeogu said.
The election was witnessed by the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Charles Aniagwu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Delta State Governor, Comrade Olisa Ifeajika and the Director General, Delta State Orientation Bureau, Barr. Eugene Uzum, as well as some past leaders and key stakeholders on the NUJ in Delta State, amongst others.
It will be recalled that the Delta NUJ Election had been rescheduled to October 6, after the initial election on July 2nd had been stalled, following bitter disagreements by the two contending blocks known as the PRIZE TEAM headed by Comrade Churchill Oyowe and the REDEMPTION TEAM headed by Comrade Mike Ikeogu, over the modalities to determine the eligible membership of the chapels that comprised the state council.
A caretaker Committee of Chapel Chairmen and Secretaries had subsequently been set up to streamline the chapels membership list and a comprehensive revalidation exercise, which was generally satisfactory to majority of the members, was carried out.
This eventually paved the way for the successful conduct of the October 6 election.
