ANA election to hold March 28

The Electoral Committee set up by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has scheduled the body’s election of national officials for March 28, 2020. This was contained in a statement signed by the Committee Chairman Prof. Jerry Agada. The election is set to hold at J.S. Tarka Foundation, Makurdi, Benue State, by 10pm. The release […]

The Electoral Committee set up by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has scheduled the body’s election of national officials for March 28, 2020.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Committee Chairman Prof. Jerry Agada. The election is set to hold at J.S. Tarka Foundation, Makurdi, Benue State, by 10pm.

The release stressed that the election and inauguration of national officials shall be the only business of the day and only qualified delegates shall be allowed into the venue. To achieve this, the Committee will rely on the list of delegates already forwarded to it by Chapter Chairmen, which shall be screened to ensure conformity with what they had sent to the National Secretariat for the botched Enugu Convention.

In addition, delegates shall bear the cost of their participation at the election while the Committee will take care of venue, security and electoral materials. Non-delegates, on the other hand, are advised to stay away from the venue to avoid being embarrassed.

It said: “There is room for fresh contestants to all the positions in the Association. Those interested have between the date of publication of this time table and the election date to do the needful.

“Fresh contestants, like the old ones, must fulfil all constitutional conditions for the office they seek to occupy.

“These are not the best of times for ANA, the Committee therefore, appeals to all members to please put the overall interest of the Association above every other. The Committee particularly appeals for the cooperation and support of all delegates towards the success of this election to take ANA out of the embarrassing situation it finds itself. It is the prayer of the Committee that God grants all delegates safe trip to and from the venue of the election.”

Last year, due to finger-pointing and accusations, between contestants and the leadership, the Association’s election failed to take place during its annual convention held in Enugu from October 31 to November 3, 2019 where Chike Ofili, Ahmed Maiwada, Ofonime Inyang, and Camillus Ukah were meant to contest for ANA’s presidency.

Subsequently, as stipulated in the body’s constitution, a National Advisory Council was constituted to take over the affairs of the Association in the interim and a caretaker committee was appointed to conduct another election within 180 days.

Established on June 27, 1981, during a conference convened by the late Professor Chinua Achebe at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, there is no record of ANA ever postponing its election as scheduled during its annual convention.