…as Governor, Appeal Court President, others bag NUJ awards
By Precious Owolabi, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has appealed to journalists across the state to remain professional and uphold fairness in their electoral coverage ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election.
Oyebanji commended the media for being partners in progress with the state government but urged them to maintain balance and objectivity in their reportage to ensure a peaceful political atmosphere where all parties and candidates can operate without violence or rancour.
The Governor made the appeal in Ado-Ekiti after he was honoured with an Award of Excellence by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, during its 2025 Press Week Dinner and Award Night.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the Governor expressed delight at the recognition, pledging that his administration would address the demands of the union, which he said were already on his priority list.
Other recipients of the NUJ awards included the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Ekiti State, Justice Monisade Abodunde; Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Professor Joseph Ayodele; former House of Representatives member, Mr Bimbo Daramola; and the Managing Director of Delko Holdings Limited, Mr Olufemi Aluko.
Delivering a lecture titled “Ekiti Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” Mr Bimbo Daramola urged journalists to hold politicians accountable for their actions, stressing that such scrutiny would help promote good governance and enhance respect for the profession.
He commended the Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI), a Catholic Church organisation, for collaborating with the NUJ Ekiti Council to promote transparency, civic engagement and accountability through regular interactions between lawmakers and citizens.
According to him, “Society cannot be built by politicians alone. Every politician is also a member of society. If those appointed to serve are not doing their job, the people who elected them must rise and challenge them.
“I heard that an NGO affiliated with the Catholic Church has partnered with the NUJ to monitor the projects of politicians across the state. That is very commendable.
“When the NUJ begins to inspect constituency projects and ask questions such as, ‘What happened to this money?’ or ‘What happened to that money?’ it sends a strong message. If we fail to do that, politicians will continue to take us for granted, and the consequences of having bad people in power will affect the profession.”
The event also featured the presentation of awards to outstanding journalists for their professional excellence.
Miss Precious Owolabi of The Hope Newspaper emerged Political Reporter of the Year (Print Category), while Mr Rasaq Ibrahim of The Nation Newspaper won Investigative Reporter of the Year (Print Category).
Adebayo Aderele of an online platform clinched the Reporter of the Year award, alongside several other journalists recognised for their exceptional contributions to journalism in Ekiti State