The editor of the Sun Newspapers, Mallam Garba-Deen Mohammed, yesterday emerged as the substantive president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors during the 11th National Conference.
Mallam Mohammed, who was the former deputy president, was nominated and affirmed the president to fill the vacuum created after the appointment of the former president, Femi Adesina, as President Muhammad Buhari’s spokesman.
Also elevated in the election through voice affirmation were the duo of the former editor of the Punch Newspapers, Mr Steve Ayorinde, from the position of the vice president (West) to the position of the deputy president. The managing director of the New Telegraph, Mrs Funke Egbemode was moved from the position of social/ publicity secretary to the position of the vice president (West).
The election of Mallam Mohammed and other executives was however preceded by the announcement by the chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Richard Akinola on the need by the editors to support the review of two key areas of Article 11 and 18 respectively of the Constitution.
According to Akinola, though the proposed amendment to the Constitution was yet to be done, a bye-election be conducted to fill the vacant position of the president and others.
But majority of the members of the guild agreed that the bye-election should be conducted at a later date of the next convention and that Mallam Mohammed, as deputy president, be nominated and affirmed to occupy the seat of president.