There are strong indications that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) may be scheming to impose a Caretaker Committee on the Lagos State chapter of the association in what could be described as the last ditch to thwart the ongoing electoral process put in place to usher in new executive of the chapter.
This newspaper exclusively gathered from some aggrieved members of NEC headed by President Isaiah Benjamin that 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 was intentional in collusion with some members of the state chapter to delay and distract the electoral umpires for President Isaiah Benjamin to impose the caretaker committee in Lagos when the tenure of the executive in Lagos expires this October.
Sources within the divided NEC at the National SWAN say 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.
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 told our correspondent in Abuja.
0 Comments