Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Niger state Council on Thursdayrejected a letter from the national headquarters, which disqualified choice candidates in the elections.
The chapter said the state Chairman, Iliya Garba, and a national officer, Gbenga Bamidele, have caused crisis in the Council for selfish reasons.
Speculation has it that Garba had aided some members to fuel the crisis by conniving with Bamidele to disqualify already cleared candidates by placing phone calls and tendering petitions.
While speaking separately after a petition was read out by the credentials committee, various members blamed the national officer, the Council Chairman and the other members who petitioned and placed calls after candidates were cleared and ready for a peaceful process.
It was reliably gathered that the national officer, who has been a constant tool used to spearhead and scuttle Councils’ elections, connived with some members of the State Council to thwart the process, which has been condemned by over two-third of the members.
Few days after Our Correspondent reported that there were plans to stop the process, Garba summoned him and requested for his source, adding that the elections will hold and that nobody would be disqualified.
The Chairman of the Credentials Committee, Ahmed Onyir, while expressing dismay at the meeting, said: “A letter from the NUJ national secretariat, dated February 18, 2015 was sent to us through my secretary contradicting what we all had hoped for.
“I am not afraid of anybody.
“I am not afraid to be rubbished by anybody.
“Suleiman Isah is the petitioner and it was signed by Samson Alfa and Abu Nmodu placed the call, which has led to this crisis.
“I would have wished we conducted the elections today, but with sadness I announce to you the shift of the elections till further notice.
“The reason is that up to about 3:30pm on Wednesday, we were very sure that the elections would hold.
“The secretary of the committee had been in Abuja since on Tuesday and based on our conversations on phone, we were very sure nothing would thwart the process.
“Our primary role is to keep the people informed and hold our leaders accountable and not to do dirty politicking.”
Members were seen and heard screaming: “We no go gree. No candidate must be disqualified. We do not have problems here, the national body should not create crisis for us. We had seen the handwriting on the wall and warned that such shouldn’t happen.
“It will be a shame if less than five unpatriotic persons in the council would plan with a national officer to ruin the peace we have enjoyed.”
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