By Stella Okoh-Esene
The National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. Chris Isiguzo, has reaffirmed that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) NUJ Council election scheduled for December 4, 2024, will proceed as planned.
Speaking at the NUJ National Secretariat in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists, Dr. Isiguzo emphasized that the election process has been progressing smoothly and that all necessary preparations are in place.
“The situation in the FCT Council of our union is stable, and there are no significant issues. The processes for the election are being conducted in line with our constitution. The council leadership, through their Congress, nominated the electoral committee members and forwarded the list to the National Secretariat for verification,” he said.
Dr. Isiguzo noted that the National Secretary, as mandated by the NUJ Constitution, thoroughly reviewed the nominations to ensure compliance. Despite a delay in receiving additional details requested from the FCT Council, the process remains on track.
He disclosed that three petitions challenging the election process were submitted but dismissed after being reviewed through the union’s internal mechanisms.
“The petitions were found to lack merit and were accordingly dismissed. Consequently, the three nominated members of the electoral committee were revalidated. Everything the council is doing has the full endorsement of the National Secretariat,” he added.
Addressing concerns about a court case allegedly halting the election, Dr. Isiguzo clarified that no judicial pronouncement has been made to stop the process.
“Recently, a lawyer sent a letter requesting that the election be halted, citing a case filed at the Industrial Court. However, the court has not even listed the case for mention, let alone issued an injunction. As a law-abiding institution, we received the correspondence, but it holds no authority to stop the election. Only the court can make such a pronouncement, and as of now, none has been made,” he stated.
He further criticized the approach of attempting to halt the process through legal correspondence, emphasizing that only a court ruling can determine the status of the election.
Dr. Isiguzo also warned against members taking union matters to court without first exhausting the internal mechanisms provided by the NUJ Constitution.
“The constitution is clear on the procedures for resolving disputes within the union. As President, I am committed to upholding and defending the constitution. The union will not allow its constitution to be undermined or disregarded,” he affirmed.
In conclusion, Dr. Isiguzo reiterated the union’s resolve to proceed with the FCT NUJ Council election as scheduled on December 4, 2024.