The Stand Up Team has recorded significant victories in the Delta State Council election of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), winning the positions of Vice Chairman, Secretary and Assistant Secretary respectively.
The results of the keenly contested election showed that Comrade Patrick Ochei (aka) the Gentle Lion, Comrade Felix Ekwu and Comrade Josephine Omodior, all candidates of the Stand Up Team, defeated their respective opponents from the Power Consolidation Team.
Ochei emerged Vice Chairman after polling 241 votes to defeat Comrade Monday Osayande, who scored 173 votes.
Similarly, Ekwu secured the Secretary position with 237 votes, beating Comrade Pere Botu, who polled 202 votes.
In the Assistant Secretary contest, Omodior consolidated her position with an impressive 287 votes against Comrade Andy Emephia, who managed to score 188 votes.
The victories represent a strong showing for the Stand Up Team, which campaigned on the need for improved leadership, accountability, transparency and a more inclusive union.
However, the team’s chairmanship candidate, Comrade Kenneth Obieh, lost to Oyowe, who polled 235 votes against Obieh’s 218 votes to secure another three-year tenure.
Oyowe contested under the Power Consolidation Team, which had sought to retain control of the council following his first term in office.
Despite losing the chairmanship, the Stand Up Team’s victories in three key positions demonstrate its significant support among journalists across Delta State and position its elected representatives to play an important role in the council’s next administration.
The election, which attracted considerable interest among NUJ members, was preceded by an intense campaign period that exposed divisions within the union.
With the results now announced, attention is expected to shift to how the incoming executive will manage the council’s affairs, promote professional solidarity and address concerns about journalists’ welfare and the effective administration of the union.
The distribution of positions between the two camps also presents an opportunity for the new executive to demonstrate that leadership of the NUJ Delta State Council must be guided by collective responsibility, transparency and the interests of members rather than partisan considerations.
Meanwhile, The Stand Up Team had already secured victories for the positions of the Treasurer and Auditor, where Comrade Caroline Ubini and Michael Ilaya, got their positions as unopposed.
This makes The Stand Up Team take dominance in the leadership position of the council while Comrade Toju Oteri, equally came unopened from the Power Consolidation Team.
While The Stand Up Team has five positions the Power Consolidation Team has two positions.
