This is not the best time for the sports writing fraternity in Nigeria as the near-to-be achieved peace in Lagos Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) may not come to reality so soon going by the revelations coming out from the rank of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association.
A newspaper report on Wednesday made stark revelation of the plan to further drag the Lagos SWAN deeper into new wave of crisis that may dent the image of the association and also outlive some of the principals.
An online newspaper, ORION TIMES, broke the news on Wednesday how some aggrieved members of the SWAN National Executive Council (NEC) have expressed their concerns about the “perceived interference” orchestrated by the National Body of SWAN in the affairs of the Electoral Committee (SWANECO) appointed to organize the Lagos SWAN election.
The newspaper revealed there is alleged ganging up by some members of the NEC with some members of the Lagos state chapter to delay and distract the electoral umpires to give way for President Isaiah Benjamin to weld the big stick of imposing a caretaker committee in Lagos when the tenure of the executive in the executive expires this October.
The newspaper says the divided NEC at the National SWAN believes President Isaiah Benjamin and his cohorts do not have the intention of working with the SWANECO legally put in place by the Olatutu Oladunni-led executive in Lagos, rather, they have their own hidden agenda, even if it goes against the traditional laid down rules of state chapters’ process of organising elections.
According to the newspaper, curious members of NEC are wondering how can a National President descend so low to take instructions outside the line of authority in Lagos State? It can only happen in SWAN, not even in the journalism parent body, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
To what level will the National SWAN be meddling in the activities of the state chapters, which are statutorily given the power to govern their chapters, if not because of an agenda?
“The process of election in the state chapters is very clear and not ambiguous.
“The question reasonable members of SWAN should ask our president is, of whose interest is he working against a legally recognised executive in Lagos by taking instructions from a set of people who are from the outset crossed their minds not to work with that lady.
“It’s so amusing and embarrassing to some members of the NEC that instructions will be passed to the Lagos State Executive and even the SWANECO without carrying some of us along,” said the source, who prefers to remain anonymous for now because he is not authorised to speak on the matter.
“We understood that he has authorised a series of Congresses in Lagos between July and September 2025 to arm-twist the Lagos SWAN Executive to dance to the tune of his preferred camp, claiming he is working in line with the constitution of the association.
“The genuine stakeholders and respected elders in Lagos SWAN should take note of Isaiah Benjamin’s end game. From all indications, the intention is clear. He wants to take over the “Soul” of SWAN in Nigeria, that is Lagos, and appoint a Caretaker Committee all in the name of pursuing peace. But some of us think, the authoritarian action must be stopped now,” the source was quoted told have told Orion Times.
