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By Our Reporter
The National Secretariat of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has condemned the purported conduct of election and emergence of an illegal and unconstitutional State Executive Committee of NAWOJ in Jigawa State Chapter.
According to a statement signed by the National Secretary of NAWOJ, Helen Udofa and made available to NATIONAL WAVES, the election which allegedly took place on Saturday, November 18, 2023 was illegal in all entirety.
Udofa said NAWOJ could not have approved such an illegal and unconstitutional act.
The statement reads “NAWOJ could not have approved such an illegal and unconstitutional act which is contrary to the provisions of the NUJ Constitution which is our body of rules and grundnorm. Accordingly, the action is to state the least, very strange to our Constitution”
“It is on record that the National Secretariat of NAWOJ approved the conduct of election into the Executive of Jigawa State Chapter of NAWOJ on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, during which Aisha Illyasu Abubakar emerged as Chairperson, with Bushira Muhammad as Vice Chairperson, Salamatu Nuhu as Secretary, Maryam Ibrahim as Assistant Secretary and Aisha M. Sani as Treasurer. The positions of Financial Secretary and Internal Auditor were to be filled subsequently, through bye-election”
” For the purposes of clarification, the conduct of the approved election was supervised by a team of Zonal Officers duly appointed by the National Secretariat of NAWOJ, in line with the provisions of the Constitution. ”
“NAWOJ does not operate nor accept illegality and would not accept such rascality as demonstrated in the illegal conduct of the purported November 18, 2023 election in Jigawa State Chapter, which is akin to a coup that is completely alien to the Association.”
“In the light of this, Article 6(6) is instructive and unambiguous on this matter, that, “In all cases, elections shall be by secret ballot and shall be supervised by officials from the National Secretariat assisted by a team selected by the National Secretariat, who shall be from outside the Union in the case of National Offices and shall be officials of the National Secretariat or person(s) nominated or appointed by the National Secretariat in case of elections to the offices of States, while the SWC shall supervise Chapel elections.”
“From the above Constitutional provision, the issue of supervision by official(s) appointed by the National Secretariat is a prerequisite for the conduct of any election and NAWOJ as a corporate body, which is guided by rules, did not appoint any person or group of persons to conduct any election in Jigawa State Chapter on Saturday, November 18, 2023.”
“Accordingly, the purported emergence of an illegal and unconstitutional executive on the 18th November 2023 is totally unknown to our Constitution thus null and void and of no effect, whatsoever.”
“Therefore, anyone who parades herself as a member of such a charade executive is an impostor. Therefore, anyone who does business with those purported elected on November 18, 2023, does so at their own risk.”
“It is in the light of this that NAWOJ National Secretariat affirms and states categorically that the only recognised Executive Committee in Jigawa State Chapter remains that led by Aisha Illyasu Abubakar, being the only authentic leadership of NAWOJ in Jigawa State Chapter that was conducted in line with the provisions of the Constitution.”
