By Correspondent in Abuja
The National Secretariat of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN); is an affiliate of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has debunked supervising any election in Katsina state or knowing about any election being conducted by the state chapter.
Reacting to what it described as a ‘kangaroo election’, National SWAN,on Wednesday in Abuja ssid its attention had been drawn to an election carried out and supervised by an impostor, Rulwanu Idris Malikawa, who with his cohorts have denounced their membership of SWAN that is an affiliate of NUJ.
“This is to our surprise that the said person supervised an illegal election in a ‘RESTAURANT’ at the state council of NUJ in Katsina.
” This is a Union (NUJ) that this set of people are already trying to stampede and blackmail,” the Secretary-General of the Association explains” SWAN said.
In a statement signed by Comrade Mike Oboh, the SWAM Secretary General, on Wednesday, said that the assured the public that the illegal election being conducted could not stand the test of time.
“The National Secretariat of SWAN, hereby declare the election as illegal, null and void, explaining that the Association is yet to conduct election for the chapter as stipulated in the statues SWAN,” Oboh said.
Oboh explained further that, if election must be conducted for the state chapter, it must follow the guiding principles of both SWAN and NUJ; which is the parent body.
Aside the above explanations, the Secretary-General explained that the impostor, Rulwanu Idris Malikawa is a persona non grata as far as SWAN is concerne, adding that Malijawa dis not have the right in the name of SWAN to supervise the said election.
“It is also pertinent to point out that the body of writers Malikawa claims to be representing is AIPS SWAN which was founded on the 16th of October, 2019 in Rivers State as a Non Governmental Organization NGO, after the unpopular group purportedly detached itself from the NUJ.
“In inference, we enjoin stakeholders and members of the public to disregard the election supervised by the said impostor, who is seeking undeserved relevance, just as the National Secretariat of SWAN will formally communicate to its members and NUJ, Katsina Council,on procedures and guidelines on when and how the election will be conducted,” SWAN said.
