I Won’t Fold My Arms’ — NUJ President Warns Against Degeneration of Delta Election Campaign.

By Henry Ubus.

The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi has called on aspirants and their supporters in the forthcoming Delta State Council NUJ election to conduct their campaigns with maturity, decorum and strict adherence to the ethics and traditions of the Union.

Abdullahi, who made the appeal in a message posted on the Delta State NUJ WhatsApp group, expressed concern over what he described as the manner in which the ongoing campaign was unfolding, warning against personal attacks, unsubstantiated allegations, open accusations and attempts to malign fellow journalists.

According to him, elections within the NUJ should be centred on ideas, programmes, leadership capacity and the welfare of journalists, rather than personal attacks and character assassination.

He urged all aspirants and their supporters to present clear programmes and engage in issue-based campaigns, while allowing members to freely make their choices without intimidation.

The NUJ President stressed that the Union, being a professional organisation, must ensure that its electoral processes reflect the highest standards of journalism, fairness and responsibility.

He said, “We must not allow personal interests to undermine the unity and integrity of the Union.”

Abdullahi, however, warned that while he was committed to ensuring a level playing field for all contestants, he would not fold his arms and watch the rules, Constitution and integrity of the Union being compromised.

He further reacted to issues being raised in the campaign concerning alleged money given to individuals, particularly the reference to “Kola Money,” noting that such funds should not automatically be construed as money meant for sharing.

“In the culture of Delta that I know, when did Kola Money given to a guest become general money for sharing, talk less of accusing someone was given such amount?” he queried.

The NUJ President also expressed concern over the mention of the name of prominent Delta businessman, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, in the ongoing campaign discourse.

According to him, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and its National Executive Council (NEC) had visited Tompolo twice, yet, he noted, the visits did not become an issue during the NBA Conference or its elections.

“However, it may interest you to know NBA/NEC visited Tompolo twice; nobody heard a word about these trips during the Bar Conference and NBA election. It’s sad and unfortunate that the name Tompolo is mentioned,” he stated.

Abdullahi warned that if the campaign continued to degenerate into accusations, character assassination and a personality-driven contest devoid of substantive issues, he would exercise the constitutional powers and responsibilities vested in his office.

“If the campaign continues to degenerate into accusations, character assassination and an election that is not issues-based, I will exercise the constitutional powers and responsibilities vested in my office to protect the integrity of the Union and ensure that due process is followed,” he said.

The NUJ President emphasised that his intervention should not be interpreted as support for any particular candidate or faction, but as an effort to safeguard the Constitution, unity and credibility of the Union’s electoral process.

“This is not about supporting any individual or faction. It is about protecting the NUJ, its Constitution and the credibility of our elections,” he said.

He consequently appealed to all contestants to campaign responsibly, respect one another and make the forthcoming Delta State NUJ election a contest of ideas, programmes and leadership vision rather than a battle of personalities.

“The NUJ belongs to all of us, and we must all protect its unity, dignity and integrity,” Abdullahi added.