Comrade Yusuf Jimoh Itopa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Graphic Newspaper, has thrown his hat into the ring for the chairmanship position of the Kogi State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
He made a passionate appeal to members to vote for him as the body prepares to conduct election into its different positions.
Speaking to Journalists in Lokoja, Itopa, said as a pioneer member, his long-standing involvement with ANA and familiarity with its workings, puts him a better position to lead the body.
As a Poet, Journalist, Media Administrator, and Theatre Arts graduate from the University of Ibadan, he believes he has the necessary skills to lead the association.
Itopa, a former Chief Press Secretary to former Daputy Governor of Kogi state, Chief Philip Salawu. promises to promote the interests of writers, literate communities, and the reading public in Kogi State.
He promised that if voted as Chairman of the Association, he would hoist and fly the flag of a collective, transparent, accountable and intellectual leadership. Saying he believes that “a lonely tree, no matter how huge, lush and imperial – it proclaims itself to be – can never make a forest.”
The election is scheduled to hold on Friday, 30th of May, 2025 at the premises of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lokoja.
It’s worth noting that ANA plays a vital role in promoting literature and supporting writers in Nigeria. The outcome of the election will likely have implications for the literary community in Kogi State.