ANA Crises: New Leaders Emerge

By Tolu Abejide


An Abuja based Lawyer, Mr Ahmed Maiwada and the Special Adviser to the Speaker of Ekiti State on Media matters, Akogun Tai Oguntayo have been elected as the National President and General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors respectively.

The election was keenly contested at the Public Service Institute Centre, Abuja also had other positions filled in exception of only the Legal Adviser.

Others who were duly elected are; Professor Ngozi China Udeh as the Vice President, Mr Patrick Oguejiefor as Assistant General Secretary, Owupele Francis as Treasurer and Usho Smith Adamu as Financial Secretary.

Others are; Banma Suleiman as Public Relations Officer (North), Otunba Dada Korede as PRO (South), Dr Moses Joseph as Auditor and Isa Ibrahim Dan Musa as Ex-officio 2 while the immediate National General Secretary returned as automatic Ex-officio 1 in absential.

It would be recalled that there was a stalemate in Enugu in November last year during the 2019 ANA Convention. After the stalemate, a 5-man Committee comprising of Professors Akachi Ezigbo, Remi Raji, Mr Odia Ofeimun, Mr Okeyendo Diego and Mr Yemi Adebiyi.

The congress gave the Electoral Committee and Chapter Chairmen 180 days to resolve the logjam as provided for by ANA constitution but after about 100 days sate of anarchy, 23 out of the 28 registered ANA chairmen came together to resolve the matter. 20 of the Chairmen attended today's meeting with their secretaries and other critical stakeholders.

Before the election took place three new ELCOM members were elected to replace Professors Akachi, Remi Raji and Mr Odia Ofeimun who had earlier resigned from the committee. The new members of the ELCOM are:  Chairman of Bayelsa ANA, Dr Akpos Adesi, Chairman of ANA Ogun, Mr Paul Oni and Chairman of ANA Kano, Mr Zaheraddeen Ibrahim Kallah.

In his acceptance speech, the new President, Mr Ahmed Maiwada said his administration will be all-inclusive as we shall meet with all our founding founders to tap from their wealth of experience.  He noted that "the law is on our side but instead of using the law, we shall use love".

Among the State chapters present are; Abuja, Plateau, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Taraba, Katsina, ANA Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, Ekiti, Lagos.

Others are; Edo, Osun, Ogun, Nassarawa, Adamawa, Anambra, Kano, Gombe and Sokoto