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By Our Correspondent
The STAND-UP Campaign Team has formally declared its intention to contest the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council election scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2026, promising to stabilize, elevate and strengthen the Council if elected.
The team, led by veteran journalist and public relations practitioner, Comrade Kenneth Onojomena Obieh, as its Chairmanship candidate, unveiled its agenda in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday.
Other members of the team include Comrade Patrick Ochie, Vice Chairman; Comrade Felix Ekwu, Secretary; Comrade Josephine Omodior, Assistant Secretary; Comrade Caroline Ubini, Treasurer; and Comrade Michael Ilaya, Auditor.
Ubini and Ilaya, according to the team, are unopposed in their respective positions.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Comrade Kenneth Onojomena Obieh said the proposed administration would focus on restoring unity of purpose among the State Working Committee, State Executive Council and the various NUJ chapels across the State.
He said the contest was not about occupying positions but about offering service and making sacrifices for the growth of the Union.
“For us, this is not about a title. It is about sacrifice for a union we all cherish. If you don’t stand up for something, we will fall for anything. Never will Delta NUJ sit or stand aloof. We will STAND-UP for what is right and just, and practice it,” the team said.
According to the campaign team, its agenda is built around a proactive, productive and intentional leadership philosophy, with a blueprint aimed at addressing what it described as critical needs of journalists and repositioning the Council for greater effectiveness.
The team said its programme would focus on members’ welfare, professional development, accountability and transparency, unity within the Union, and strengthening the voice of journalists in the affairs of the Council.
It also pledged to pursue an inclusive and service-driven administration that would place members’ interests at the centre of its programmes while promoting professionalism and constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders.
The team further identified capacity building, welfare, institutional development and initiatives aimed at improving the professional and socio-economic well-being of journalists as key areas of its proposed administration.
The STAND-UP team said its candidates bring experience from both Council and Chapel levels, describing the combination as an asset in pursuing its proposed agenda.
On the emergence of Ubini as Treasurer and Ilaya as Auditor without opposition, the team said their emergence represents an early indication of what it described as a new direction for practising journalists in the state.
The team assured NUJ members that, if given the mandate, it would operate an administration that listens, serves and remains accountable to members.
It said its broader objective is to build what it described as a stronger, more united and professionally driven Delta State Council of the NUJ.
