NAWOJ Condemns Illegality, Rascality In Jigawa Chapter

• Cautions public against doing business with ‘imposters’

BY EDMOND ODOK – The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has frowned at current developments in the Jigawa State Chapter of the Association, describing as illegal an election purportedly conducted on Saturday, 18th November 2023 in the State.

According to the NAWOJ National Secretariat, the Association being averse to illegality, will not condone any form of rascality as demonstrated in the illegal conduct of some persons associated with the event of November 18 in the State Chapter.

In a letter signed by its National Secretary, Helen Udofa, NAWOJ described the development as “akin to a coup that is completely alien to the Association”, warning that; “Anyone who parades herself as a member of such a charade executive is an impostor”.

Additionally, the Association cautioned members of the public against doing any business with those purported elected on November 18, 2023, as such arrangement would be at their own risk.

The letter titled; “PURPORTED CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN JIGAWA STATE CHAPTER OF NAWOJ ON NOVEMBER 18, 2023”, was copied to the  Vice President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zone A; the Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State; the Director, DSS, Jigawa State; Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Jigawa State; Honourable Commissioner of Information, Jigawa State; and the Chairman NUJ, Jigawa State Council

Below is the full text of the NAWOJ statement
PURPORTED CONDUCT OF ELECTION IN JIGAWA STATE CHAPTER OF NAWOJ ON NOVEMBER 18, 2023
The attention of the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has been drawn to the purported conduct of an election and emergence of an illegal and unconstitutional State Executive Committee of NAWOJ in Jigawa State Chapter, which allegedly took place on Saturday, November 18, 2023.

For the avoidance of doubt, the National Secretariat of NAWOJ did not approve and 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 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 the 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 an 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 of 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 this light that the 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 which emerged in an election conducted in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

Thank you for your kind consideration and understanding of the matter.

Yours in Service,

Helen Udofa
National Secretary