Comrade Alhassan Yahaya has been elected as the new president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Alhassan, who is the immediate past National Deputy President of the union, defeated his closest rival, incumbent Treasurer Dele Atunbi, at the 8th Triennial Delegate Conference of NUJ, held in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Alhassan, who is also a former Gombe State Council Chairman of the NUJ, scored 436 votes, while Atunbi had 97 and Mohammed Garba, 39 votes.
Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mike Ikeogwu, declared Alhassan the winner in the early hours of Thursday.
While declaring the result, Ikeogwu said, “By the powers vested in me as the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, I hereby declare that Alhassan Yahya, having polled the highest number of votes, is returned as President of the NUJ for the next three years.“
Alhassan, who works with the Gombe State Media Corporation, is the first NUJ President from the North-East geo-political zone.
The new NUJ President, in his acceptance speech, pledged to serve “humbly and with the fear of God” and also to “uphold the Constitution of the NUJ with all fairness, equity and justice”.
Alhassan succeeded Chief Chris Isuguzo from the South-East, who served out two tenures of six years.
General Manager, Radio Nigeria Bronze FM, Benin, Abimbola Oyetunde, was returned unopposed as the new Deputy National President at the conference.
Oyetunde, who is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the union, by her election, emerged the first female deputy national president of NUJ.
Ekiti State Council’s Mrs Ronke Afebioye Samo was also re-elected unopposed as the Vice President Zone B.
Also elected unopposed during the conference were other executive members of the union.
