By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Immediate past Secretary of the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Isa Garba Gadau of the Bauchi State Television (BATV) has emerged Chairman of the Council, in an election held on Saturday.
In elections supervised by the National Secretariat of the NUJ, represented by the Zonal Vice President, Zare Baba assisted by the Zonal Secretary, Gombe and Plateau Council Chairmen, Gadau polled a total of 87 votes to defeat his rival, Ahmed Mohamed of the Correspondents Chapel who polled 47 votes.
The Chairperson of the 2026 NUJ Election, Elizabeth Carr, announced the results. The new Council Secretary was former Auditor, Isiyaka Wunti who defeated Mu’azu Hassan of NTA with 97 votes to 37.
Others elected unopposed are immediate past treasurer, Danjuma Sarki Saleh who becomes the Vice Chairman, immediate Assistant Secretary, Adama Ibrahim who is the new Treasurer, Aliyu Sambo, Assistant Secretary, while Khalid Idris Doya of LEADERSHIP Newspapers was elected Financial Secretary and Abubakar Ibrahim, Auditor.
While inaugurating the new Executive Council, the National President of the NUJ, Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, charged the newly elected leaders to uphold integrity, trust and professionalism in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The NUJ National President, who was represented by the Zonal Vice President, Mr. Zare Baba, said the primary responsibility before the new leadership was to advance journalism practice and improve the quality of journalism in the state.
He also commended the immediate past Chairman, Comrade Umar Sa’idu, for his contributions to the development of the union and urged the new executives to conduct their affairs with honesty, fairness and accountability.
While advising the new Council to emulate the good things of the immediate past Council, he changed them to eschew bitter relationship by forgetting the contest and take all Journalists as one big family.
In his acceptance speech, the new Chairman, Gadau pledged that his administration would prioritise the welfare of journalists, professional training and development, as well as the safety and security of media practitioners in the state.
He said the new Executive Council would work to ensure that journalists were adequately supported, better equipped and able to perform their duties without fear.
“I accept this mandate with gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility. This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to all members of our great union,” he said.
Gadau also pledged strict adherence to the NUJ Constitution and Code of Ethics, noting that the credibility of journalism and the respect accorded the profession depended on commitment to professional standards.
He said his administration would consolidate the achievements of previous administrations rather than discard existing initiatives that had yielded positive results.
“We will not discard what has worked; rather, we will strengthen it, improve it and introduce new initiatives where necessary,” he said.
The new Chairman further promised to run an administration based on unity, inclusiveness, accountability and mutual respect, adding that he would work with all chapels, members and stakeholders for the progress of the NUJ in Bauchi State.
He congratulated all contestants and appealed to members who supported other candidates to join hands with the new leadership for the advancement of the union.
“The election is over; we are now one union, with one purpose and one responsibility, to advance the interests of journalists and strengthen our profession,” he said.
Gadau also commended the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, for the remodelling of the NUJ Secretariat, saying the project had given the premises a new look.
He expressed hope that the project would be completed and commissioned soon.
Also speaking, Chairman of Bauchi State Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Danjuma Shuabu, commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.
He commended the immediate past Chairman, Comrade Umar Sa’idu, describing him a valuable asset to unionism, urging the new Chairman to emulate him.
The Chairmen of Gombe and Plateau Councils also gave goodwill messages urging the new Council members to be fair and just in their dealings with the members.
Meanwhile, the Isa Garba Gadau (IGG) Campaign Council, under the leadership of Mr. Ishola Michael Adeyemi, congratulated Gadau and all other successful candidates on their emergence.
