The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) is set to lose a third consecutive president following the nomination of Funke Egbemode into the Osun State Executive Council by Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Mrs Egbemode, who is currently the managing director of New Telegraph Newspapers, was re-elected NGE president for a second term at a biennial convention in May 2019.
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She was initially elected acting president in July 2016 after Garba Deen Muhammad voluntarily relinquished the position following his appointment as group general manager in charge of public affairs of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Before then, she was elected vice president (west) of the NGE at the All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State in August 2015.
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Muhammad was elected president at the Bayelsa conference after Femi Adesina, relinquished his position as NGE President following his appointment as special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity.
The seat of the President became vacant again with Muhammad’s appointment as NNPC spokesperson, leading to the emergence of Egbemode as acting president.
In a unanimous decision, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Friday confirmed She was elected substantive president at the guild’s 12th annual conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in August 2016.
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Egbemode was four months into her second term as substantive president when she was announced as one of 35 nominees for the positions of commissioners and special advisers to Governor Oyetola.
Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, read the list of nominees during plenary on Tuesday.
If confirmed as commissioner or special adviser, Egbemode will step down as president as mandated by the NGE constitution.
Before joining New Telegraph, the Obafemi Awolowo University graduate worked as editor of Sunday Sun and Saturday Independent.
She also worked with Punch and ThisDay among other publications.
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Outside the newsroom, she served as special adviser on media to former speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Olubunmi Etteh, and aide to former director-general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Omotayo Omotosho.
She is the second woman, after late Mrs Remi Oyo to lead the NGE.
Like her, Adesina and Muhammad were workers of The Sun Newspapers at the time they were elected NGE president and when they left the position.
Senator Orji Kalu, who owns The Sun, also owns New Telegraph where Egbemode currently works.
