There is tension in the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, after the state executive council election result, which were conducted on 13 August, this year, was cancelled.

The election, which saw the emergence of Emmanuel Akpong of the State Ministry of Information as Chairman, Gill Nse Abasi of the Nigerian Tribune as Secretary, among others, was allegedly declared null and void by Mr Rotimi Obamuwagun, who is the National Deputy President of the Union, while addressing journalist into a meeting in Calabar. He told the newsmen that new elections would be conducted in two weeks’ time.

The pronouncement by the deputy national president came on the heels of a petition written by Omini Oden of NTA, who contested and lost to Emmanuel Akpong. He claimed that the election was fraud and was manipulated by supporters of Emmanuel Akpong.

Akpong, however, condemned the action of the National Deputy President of the Union, whom he said is acting the scripts of his pay masters.

According to him, “he (Obamuwagun) surreptitiously entered the state council in company of four others and at a meeting with journalists, brazenly, made a pronouncement to the effect that a duly conducted, free, fair and conclusive election of the state council has been cancelled and the executive dissolved.

“That declaration, which remains verbal, has no backing of the national secretariat and above all, is unconstitutional and cannot stand.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no national officer of the union has such rights, which is only vested constitutionally in the State Congress through a vote of no confidence on an erring executive.

“The present executives had been popularly elected and enjoy the confidence of the state congress and have held three successive monthly congresses.”

He maintained that Obamuwagun in a show of desperation, directed, albeit, verbally that election be conducted in Cross River State council in two weeks by a five- man committee.

According to the Cross River State NUJ Chairman, the duly elected executive officers of the state council will defend the mandate given overwhelmingly to them by journalists in Cross River State.

“Enough is enough for the people in Cross River State to be taken for granted! On August 13, we stand! There can be no other election in Cross River State Council of NUJ until August 2012,” Mr. Akpong said.

Omini Oden, however, supported the action of the deputy national president. He declared that the era of stealing mandates is over, stating that, “ as watch men of the society, we must get our acts right, if we want to be taken seriously”.