Mrs Funke Egbemode, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of New Telegraph Newspapers, has been re-elected to preside over the affair of the Nigerian Guild of Editors for another two years.
She was returned unopposed at the Editors’ 2019 Biennial Convention held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Saturday.
Earlier some delegates had moved that the election be postponed as they were not satisfied with the criteria for selecting eligible candidates.
They expressed dissatisfaction at the disqualification of many who had expressed interest in vying for various offices and therefore called for a review of the Guild’s constitution.
Following interventions from Mrs Dupe Gbadamosi and Mr. Ray Ekpu, who acknowledged the deficiencies in the constitution, but appealed to the disenfranchised members to allow the elections hold pending the amendment of the offending sections of the constitution, the election subsequently went ahead peacefully.
Besides Mrs Egbemode, other candidates who ran and were returned unopposed included; Umar Saidu Tudunwada (Deputy President), Mustapha Isa (Vice President West), Mary Atolagbe (General Secretary), Austeen Elewedalu (Assistant General Secretary), Victoria Ibanga (Treasurer) and Ken Ugbechie (Social Publicity Secretary).
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Five offices which were contested for were; Vice President (North), Vice President (East), Standing Committee Members (North), Standing Committee Members (East) and Standing Committee Members (West).
At the end of the process which lasted far into the night, the following emerged winners;
Vice President (East)
Samuel Egbala
Vice President (North)
Hajia Sani
Standing Committee members (North)
Catherine Agbo and Husseina A. Ibrahim
Standing Committee members (East)
Ngwoke A. Ngwoke and Freston Akpor
Standing Committee members ( West )
Steve Nwosu and Charles Eze Anada
The returning President, Egbemode in her acceptance speech appreciated everyone for their patience. She also thanked members of the Guild for the trust reposed in her and promised to uphold their trust.
Egbemode also assured them that she would always put the guild first.
Furthermore, she said, “Although I have ideas, I promise that the next two years will be about what you want and what needs to be done.”
She also assured that the integrity of the guild will be protected.
