By Debo Adeoye, Ibadan
As preparations intensify ahead of the December 2025 election of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), a frontline group known as the Divine Mandate Team has taken a significant step in its bid to clinch victory by submitting its nomination forms to the Electoral Committee.
The team, made up of journalists drawn from various chapels across the state, submitted their forms well ahead of the stipulated deadline, signaling their preparedness and unity of purpose ahead of the keenly anticipated polls.
The Divine Mandate Team is presenting candidates for all key positions in the Oyo NUJ election. They include:
- Comrade Raji Adebayo of Correspondents’ Chapel – Chairmanship Candidate
- Comrade Adebayo Abdur-Rofih of BCOS Chapel – Vice Chairmanship Candidate
- Comrade Olamide Adeniji of Information Chapel – Secretary
- Comrade Moses Morenikeji of FRCN Chapel – Treasurer
- Comrade Nurudeen Alimi of Tribune Chapel – Auditor
- Comrade Akinjola Olubode of BCOS Chapel – Assistant Secretary
The diversity of chapels represented, observers say, reflects the team’s commitment to inclusiveness and collective leadership within the union.
Speaking shortly after submitting the forms at the NUJ Secretariat in Ibadan, the team’s Chairmanship candidate, Comrade Raji Adebayo, described the exercise as a “major milestone” toward the team’s anticipated victory.
“By submitting our forms ahead of time, we have shown our seriousness and readiness for the task ahead. We believe that with God on our side and the support of our colleagues, victory is certain,” Adebayo said.
He assured members of the union that the team would strictly adhere to the guidelines of the Electoral Committee, emphasizing that their campaign would be issue-based, transparent, and devoid of rancour.
Adebayo also used the occasion to appeal to supporters and well-wishers to remain calm, maintain decorum, and continue to pray for the success of the team in the forthcoming election.
“We urge our supporters to conduct themselves with maturity and discipline. This contest is not a war; it’s a democratic process to move our union forward. We trust God to deliver our victory at the right time,” he added.
The Oyo NUJ election, scheduled for December 2025, is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent years, with several teams and individual candidates already intensifying consultations and campaigns across the various chapels in the state.
Observers, analysts and strategists within the union say the early organization and visible unity of the Divine Mandate Team could give it a strategic advantage as the race heats up in the coming weeks.
