By Dada Ahmed.
The Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors(NGE), which took place in the commercial city of Kano between May 30 and June 2, 2021 with the theme: “Media Convergence in COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities”, has come and gone but not without with food for thought for all segments of the society in Nigeria and beyond,particularly the political class.
Keen watchers of political climate in Nigeria are of the view that the election of the national officials of the Guild has left indelible mark in the sand of history of elections in the chequered history of the largest economy in Africa and the biggest black nation in the world.
No doubt, the election into
Political offices in Nigeria remains a big problem to the government and governed since 1964 when election took place with unpalatable consequences, leading to the 30-month civil war that shook the very foundation of then fledgling Nigeria as sovereign nation.
For more than 50 years now, Nigeria with a population of about 200 million inhabitants, has never held election without rancour, blood shedding, unending litigation and stuffs like that, as some politicians are always at each other’s throat at the electoral college to get to the seat of power through all manner of illegality.
This scenario,no doubt, has slowed down the process of the socio-economic and political development of the country in many spheres of life of the citizenry.
Many descerning minds believe that Nigeria with abundant and rich mineral, natural and human resources, has all it takes to be a great nation in the world but political problem, coupled with corruption are the stumbling blocks toward the realisation of such noble national aspiration.
The snag, however, has always be the crisis-ridden elections, characterised by maiming, deaths and destruction to property worth billions of naira.
Therefore, when members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors thought it wise to hold their Biennial Convention and the election of new officials in the commercial city of Kano, to lead the Guild for the next 24 months and all road led to Tahir Quest Palace, Kano, many Nigerians expressed scepticism and fear about positive outcome of the election.
Their argument was that nothing good comes out of Nigerian election as such exercise is usually marred by ballot snatching, rigging, manipulation of election results,killings and other henious crimes and criminality.
However, the editors from the 36 states of federation and FCT broke this lingering jinx as they proved scenics wrong by conducting what has been described as the freest, fairest and most credible poll in living memory in Nigeria.
The editors,known as gate keepers in information management, certainly know the harm inconclusive elections has caused the nation’s developmental process by organizing an election devoid of any oita of crisis, eyebrow,but rather, an exercise that saw the winners and loosers jettisoned their differences and imbibed the spirit oneness in an atmosphere of conviviality.
The electoral committee, headed by one time national president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Bonnie Nwoha and his able lieutenants performed creditably by conducting an election creditably well and to the expectation of members and the nation at large.
From the campaign to accreditation of members, voting process and announcement of results,all were characterised by the atmosphere of tranquility as electors put aside divisive tendencies and voted for the candidates of their choice without money politics or inducement of any sort or influencing the results from any quarter.
The Governor of the host state, Kano, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,who had earlier in an address of welcome urged the editors to conduct a rancour-free election, could not hide his feeling at the end of the election as he showered praises on them for adhering strictly to the principle of free,fair and credible polls in the country.
Referring to the election while bidding the delegates bye during dinner the state government held in their honour, Ganduje said,”I am overwhelmed by the outcome of the editors’ election. I am happy that this election was held peacefully.”
According to him,the exercise will serve as a challenge to other segments of the society, especially the political class, on the imperative of rancour-free election, to ensure stability in the political process of the country.
The outcome of the election as announced by Chairman of the Electoral Committee follows;
President- Mustapha Isah – 176
Victoria Ibanga- 54.
VP East- Sam Egbala 132 Sheddy Ozoene 88
West- Bolaji Adebiyi, 132 Ken Ugbechie- 80.
Asst. Gen. Sec- Austeen Elewodalu-126 . Rose Moses-82.
Treasurer- Steve Nwosu – 150 Juliet Njiowhor- 26 Catherine Agbo- 51
Soc/Pub Sec- Eze Anaba- 164. Chuks Okoh- 53.
Standing Committee West – Gabriel Akinadewo- 174
Onuoha Uken – 174
Wole Shogunle- 172
Abimbola Tooki- 61 (3 needed).
North- Umoru Ibrahim- 202. Gbenga Adesina- 113. Imoni Amarere- 99 (2 needed).
Unopposed – Deputy President – Ali.M.Ali.
General Secretary – Iyobosa Uwagiaren.
Standing Committee East – Ngwoke Ngwoke, Boma Nwuke.
VP North- Kila Habibu Nuhu.
Members, such as Mrs Mercy Atohengbe(VON) Lagos: among others congratulated the winners on the Guld’s social media platform, describing the exercise as free, fair and credible and a well deserved victory.
The candidates that could not make it to victory demonstrated the spirit of good sportsmanship by congratulating members for the confidence reposed as well expressing joy for the victors in the exercise while thanking electors for reposing confidence in them through their votes.
Some of the winners showed appreciation to the electors, thanking them for show of love among others as well urging their co-contestants to join them in moving the Guild forward as an indivisible entity.
Others said the outcome of the election. is purely an act of God, reflecting on the legendary saying that God has power over all things and stressed the need for all members to support the new leadership of the Guild “for the Guild to attain greater heights.”
Others urged the new exco to be magnanimous in victory while those who could not make it should imbibe the spirit of good sportsmanship.
In his acceptance,speech,Isa promised to continue to be “the Chief Servant”and accessible to members in the collective efforts to move the guild to the next level of development.
He charged his exco to hit the ground running for them to fulfill their electioneering promises to ensure and actualise the desired progress for the Guild and solicited the support of all members of the Guild for the new exco to achieve its aims and objectives.
The re-elected NGE president specifically advised his co-contestants to join him in moving the guild forward.
An obviously elated President Muhammadu Buhari,over the exercise, congratulated Mustapha Isa in a statement signed by Garba Shehu,his Senior Special Assistant,(Media and Publicity)..
The President also congratulated the Standing Committee of the Guild, both the re-elected and the ones who won fresh seats for a job well done.
He commended the rancour-free conduct of the election and the unanimous acceptance of the outcome of the contest by members, saying that the Guild had set a good standard for other unions to copy.
Buhari, however,called on the new executive of NGE to join his administration in the efforts to rid the country of fake news and avoid negativism as well as advised the media to abstain from content against the maintenance of law and order and contribute to the sustenance of national security.
In calling for partnership between the two, the President said the media and the government working together, “can and will build a strong, safe, secure and inclusive Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the Governor of Kano State,Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, called on Journalists to shun instances capable of breaching peace and stress the néed for Nigerians to maximise the opportunity derivable from the unity in diversity of the people to ensure a peaceful country.
He noted with concern that while Nigerians realised the fact of their differences, they failed to maximise these divisive expressions to unite and move the nation forward, adding that the media had a duty to educate, the populace on the need to see the country as one in their mode of interaction with one another.
He made the call on Tuesday during the dinner held in Kano to end the three-day conversation.
Both the winners,the losers and the electors that exercised their franchise during the all important election left Tahir Guest Palace, Kano with absolute sense satisfaction of being associated with the most credible election in the country in recent time.
The editors expressed optimism that the peaceful outcome of their election would be an eloquent testimony to the thinking of the patriots that, all is not lost for Nigeria to conduct election,where fairness, credibility and rancour-free which would enhance political stability, economic development and social cohesion for the general good of the masses.
This, they argued, would depend on how far politicians would see the NGE election as an eye opener for them to begin to follow suit by organising electios based on substance and not personality, religious or ethnic expressions, as politicians warm for 2023 general elections.
The event came to a positive end with the investiture of some editors into the Guild and a dinner in honour of the Guild where the state cultural group thrilled the audience with the rich Nigerian cultural dances cutting the three major tribes in Nigeria-Hausa,Ibo and Yoruba.
The consensus opinion, even beyond the membership of the Guild is that, though gate keepers in the dissemination of news to all segments of the society, the editors have proved that they are capable of contributing to restoring peace to electioneering process of Nigeria, giving the tone of their recent poll in Kano.
They therefore stand as shining example of patriots whose basic objective is political stability of Nigeria with multiplier effect on other sectors of the economy with a to boosting democracy.
Dada Ahmed, the Editor in Chief, The Reporters, was one of the participants at the convention.
