By Henry Ihimekpen
The leadership crisis in the Environment Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) has deepened, as the association’s Registered Trustees have rejected the purported dissolution of the Executive Committee and disowned an Interim Leadership announced by a faction.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the Trustees described the congress that produced the decisions as unauthorized and procedurally defective, insisting it cannot produce binding resolutions for EMCAN.
The statement, signed by Registered Trustees Amechi Chukwuekwu Oyema and Godson Elekwachi, said the resolutions announced after the disputed meeting — including the dissolution of the Executive Committee and the constitution of an Interim Leadership — “remain disputed and cannot be regarded as the official position of EMCAN.”
Participants marked with green dots, alleged by EMCAN Trustees to be non-members, at the congress.
The Trustees maintained that EMCAN has yet to adopt a formal constitution defining procedures for convening congresses, determining quorum, conducting elections, removing officers, or dissolving the Executive Committee. They argued that the absence of such a framework undermines the legitimacy of the exercise.
According to them, the congress was neither authorized by the Registered Trustees nor convened through any process recognised by the association.
The dispute took another dimension as the Trustees alleged that several individuals who participated in the proceedings and voting were not registered members of EMCAN.
They specifically questioned the inclusion of Samuel Adeyinka of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Folarin Kehinde in the purported Interim Executive Committee, as well as Adekunle Buruji in the Electoral Committee, claiming that available membership records do not list them as registered members of the association.
The Trustees also alleged that the motion establishing the Interim Leadership was seconded by Goodluck Adubazi of Standard Times, whom they equally claimed is not a registered member of EMCAN.
“The alleged participation of non-members in decisions affecting the association raises serious concerns regarding the legitimacy, credibility and integrity of the entire process.”
— EMCAN Registered Trustees
They said the Trustees had neither considered, endorsed nor ratified any of the actions taken at the disputed meeting.
They therefore cautioned members, government institutions, development partners, media organisations and the general public against recognising claims that the Executive Committee had been lawfully dissolved or that a new leadership had validly emerged as representing the official position of EMCAN.
Amid the deepening internal disagreement, the Trustees pledged to pursue a peaceful resolution of the crisis through dialogue and institutional reforms.
They reiterated their commitment to facilitating the adoption of a constitution for the association and the conduct of transparent, inclusive and credible elections acceptable to all members.
Calling for restraint, the Trustees urged members to remain calm and avoid actions capable of worsening divisions within the association while consultations continue.
They reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the integrity of EMCAN, insisting that all decisions affecting the association must be taken through lawful, transparent, inclusive and democratically acceptable processes.
The latest development signals an intensifying struggle over the leadership of EMCAN, with rival claims now threatening the unity of the association as stakeholders await efforts by both parties to broker a lasting resolution
