Alhassan Yahaya, the Deputy National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has been elected as the union’s new National President.
Yahaya secured a landslide victory, receiving 436 votes to defeat his closest rival, Dele Atunbi, the outgoing National Treasurer, who garnered 97 votes. Another contender, Garba Muhammad, managed 39 votes. The election took place in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where 602 delegates from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including the Federal Capital Territory, convened to select the NUJ’s new leadership.
Yahaya will lead the union for the next three years, with a focus on improving the welfare of journalists and upholding the values of ethical journalism. In his farewell remarks, outgoing NUJ President Comrade Christopher Isiguzo pledged a seamless transition, assuring that he would not interfere in the administration of the new leadership.