NUJ FCT Chairman, Excos impeached over electioneering process manipulation

Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council on Saturday, impeached the Council Chairman, Patrick Osadebamwe and his Executive Council (EXCO).

The journalists in the nation’s capital reached this decision at the state congress held at Council’s Secretariat in Utako Abuja on Saturday.

This followed the attempt by the Osadebamwe-led EXCO to foist on members, a Credentials Committee for the upcoming Council’s Election on the 4th December, 2024.

Trouble started when the Chairman skewedly selected members believed to be loyal to him and his EXCO to nominate members of the credentials committee, which many suspected was staged manged.

All pleas and protests by the Congress, rejecting the nominations, fell on deaf ears just as their insistence to subjects those nominated to voting was rejected by the EXCO.

According to members, the impeached EXCO had met with select members on the directives of the former chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche who is an aide to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers State to pre-select the credentials committees.

Some Congress members further insisted that the chairman, his EXCO, and their loyalists met at the Zuma Garden, Utako, and planned the grand imposition, which met stiff resistance.

According to some members of the union, Ogbeche has a candidate for the election and instructed his successor and erstwhile subordinate, Osadebamwe, to put in place all modalities for his “anointed” candidate to win by all means

The former FCT Council chairman, Ogbeche, had boasted that his principal, Governor Otu, was interested in the election and directed to support a particular candidate.

The refusal of Osadebamwe-led EXCO to yield to demand of the Congress led to a commotion in the hall with the shouts of we “no go gree, we move for impeachment you can’t dictate to us!” while there were smashing of chairs and almost exchange of blows.

Those nominated were Emeka Nze, Blueprint, Francisca Udoh ITV, and Godfrey Okon of Abuja Inquirer.

Consequently, the chairman and his EXCO called armed police personnel to chase out the protesting members, but upon their arrival, chantings of No Police! No Police! and the charged atmosphere made the operatives retreat, saying it was a union affairs.

While the drama ensued, signatures were collected with more than two-thirds of the Congress signing for the impeachment of the
Osadebamwe-led EXCO.

Some members leading the impeachment process called on NUJ National Leadership to ensure the ratification of the sack of the FCT Council EXCO and appoint a caretaker committee.

Meanwhile, chapel chairmen have taken over the affairs of the FCT Council pending when the National Secretariat of the Union will set up a caretaker committee.