The attention of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been drawn to a desperate plot by the immediate past President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Ikechukwu Isiguzo, to have his tenure extended by a handful of delegates in Umuahia, Abia State.
The three-year tenure of the Isiguzo led National Executive Council (NEC) expired yesterday Wednesday 5th October 2021, having been elected and sworn in on October 5, 2018 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Reports reaching Rivers council stated that, in the face of reality that the kangaroo election scheduled for Umuahia, Abia State, is no longer feasible due to the court order served on the National Secretariat yesterday, the former NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo whose tenure expired on Wednesday 5th October, 2021 has now resorted to sponsoring delegates from across the state councils to Umuahia, with a view to elongating his tenure, knowing fully well that the so-called tenure elongation he plotted during the sham Zoom NEC meeting on Sunday 3rd October 2021 cannot stand.
The NUJ, Rivers State Council, in a statement signed by the chairman, Stanley Job Stanley and secretary, Ike Wigodo, therefore, calls on all its legitimate members not to fall into the temptation of going to Umuahia to participate in this illegality that is being plotted to take place in Thursday,7th October,2021.
We want to assure our members that the Rivers State Council is in touch with at least 22 other state councils in the country who have vowed not to participate in the illegality, in view of the expiration of Isiguzo’s tenure and the court order restraining the Credentials Committee from going ahead with the 7th NUJ National Triennial Delegates Conference in Umuahia.
We warn that any member of the NUJ, Rivers State Council, who allows him/herself to be used does so at his/her peril.
While we enjoin our members to wait for further directives on the controversial National Delegates Conference, we thank the law-abiding members of the Union for their support and resilience in defending the NUJ Constitution as well as protecting the integrity of our profession.
