What was expected to be a showcase of achievements by the leadership of the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) instead exposed deep cracks within the union, as senior members stayed away from the Chairman’s one-year stewardship event in what insiders described as a silent vote of no confidence.
The conspicuous absence of many of the Chapel’s core members underscored growing discontent over the leadership of Chairman Murtala Adewale, who is facing allegations of unilateral decision-making, disregard for the NUJ Constitution and increasing division within the Chapel.
For the aggrieved members, the boycott was more than an absence—it was a statement.
According to them, the stewardship programme itself was unprecedented and alien to the traditions of the Correspondents’ Chapel, accusing the Chairman of introducing practices they said lacked constitutional backing while sidelining the collective decision-making process that has historically guided the union.
“We deliberately stayed away because the event does not represent the values and traditions of our Chapel,” one senior member, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told this reporter.
The discontent, however, extends far beyond the stewardship event.
The members alleged that major decisions affecting the Chapel were routinely taken without consultation, leaving Congress—the union’s highest decision-making body—largely inactive under the current administration.
“It has never been this bad for the union. We feel like we are in a prison because of poor leadership and total disregard for our Constitution and senior members. The Chapel has become sharply divided,” one of the aggrieved journalists said.
The dissenting members also accused the Chairman of allegedly turning the Chapel into a platform for political patronage by conferring awards on politicians without the consent of members or approval from the NUJ National Secretariat.
According to them, such actions have compromised the professional image and neutrality of the Correspondents’ Chapel.
Another member said the administration had consistently shut members out of the affairs of the union.
“Everything revolves around one person. We are neither consulted nor carried along. There is no transparency, no inclusiveness and no fairness in the administration of the Chapel,” the member alleged.
At the centre of the dispute are allegations that the executive has convened only one Congress since assuming office.
The aggrieved members argued that this contravenes the provisions of the 2021 NUJ Constitution, which recognises Congress as the supreme decision-making organ of every Chapel and requires regular meetings to deliberate on issues affecting members.
“The Constitution is unambiguous. Congress is where members collectively take decisions. You cannot sideline that process and still claim to be running a democratic union,” another senior member said.
Warning that the crisis could worsen if left unresolved, the members appealed to the Kano State Council of the NUJ to step in before the division becomes irreparable.
“We are not fighting personalities; we are defending the Constitution and the integrity of our union. The Council must act now to restore confidence, unity and due process,” one of the members added.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Chapel Chairman, Murtala Adewale, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Calls and messages sent to him were not returned.
