Crisis Rocks Niger NAWOJ

MINNA – The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Niger State chapter, is currently enmeshed in crisis over interferences leading to postponements and dissolution of Electoral Committee set up by the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to conduct election to fill vacant seats after the expiration of their tenure.

This is coming as some NUJ and NAWOJ members are pointing accusing fingers on some persons using the state leadership of the NUJ to allegedly hijack NAWOJ and using same for personal political bargains instead of playing OBSERVER role as the union’s constitution demand.

After the expiration of the Rabi Bello led executive, the NUJ on the 27th of Feb, 2024 appointed and inaugurated 5-member Electoral Committee with, Halima Bawa from state ministry of information as Chairperson and Maimuna Muhammed Babangida from Prestige FM chapel as Secretary.

The Committee members were however dissolved by the same NUJ that set them up in May, 2024 on flimsy excuses of being biased and another set of people were handpicked for the same job and inaugurated in June, 2024.

The new Electoral Commiittee, Asabe Garba of Federal Information chapel as Chairperson and Lubabatu Kushirki from state Information chapel as Secretary assumed duty, but like their predecessor after series of postponements of the election were dissolved on 19th Feb, 2025 due to similar flimsy excuses.

NAWOJians who had waited patiently were taken aback when a memo signed by Lubabatu Mohammed Kusherki, Secretary NAWOJ Credentials Electoral Committee, announcing that the election scheduled for Thursday, 20th February, 2025 will not hold again.

The postponement notice posted on NUJ and NAWOJ platforms respectively reads in parts, “Credentials Electoral Committee wishes to bring to your notice, subject to the just concluded meeting with the State Working Committee with the resolution to postpone the election previously scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, February 20, 2025”.

“Furthermore, the present NAWOJ Credential Election Committee has been officially dissolved”, the statement which also exposes the NUJ of having no trust in itself and the Electoral Commiittee further emphasized.

The NAWOJ National body has put forth the following resolutions:
1. Constitution of the NAWOJ Caretaker Committee: To be constituted by the NAWOJ National body to oversee the affairs of the Niger State Chapter temporarily”.

While members were yet to come to terms with the NUJ refusing to allow NAWOJians to manage its affairs, the statement further stated that, “The committee according to THEM will be saddled with the primary responsibility of overseeing all NAWOJ activities in the state, ensuring a smooth transition before the next election”.

The notice has since yesterday, Wednesday evening, 19th of February, 2025 when it was released have generated murmurings against the state NUJ leadership with many accusing the Council of muzzling NAWOJ and using the Association’s national leadership as a shield to perpetrate vested agenda.

Some members who spoke on the imbroglio argued that it is very unfortunate that NUJ instead of playing ‘Ovserver’ role have hijacked the association and not allowing members decide for themselves who to lead them in the next three years.

Members of the NUJ in the state, NAWOJians in particular had wondered why appointing people to conduct election, but will not allow them free hand to operate.

“Twice you handpicked people to serve as NAWOJ Crdentials/Electoral Commiittee and twice you dissolved them of flimsy excuses because they refuse to do their bidding”, wondering why issues that concerns NAWOJ should be kept secret from them.

The NUJ, they allege should come out clean with evidence made public to NAWOJians in Niger state that it the the Association’s national leadership that wants the electoral process put on hold.

“Before they wanted to by-pass the zonal Vice President by creating an impression that she was having issues with the state NAWOJ. When that didn’t work out, today they are claiming that the NAWOJ President, Hajiya Aisha Ibrahim Bura is the one that wants everything about the election suspended and the Electoral Committee dissolved.