2023: Journalist joins Assembly race in Ondo
A multiple award-winning journalist and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of TRACE News Magazine, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, has declared his intention to contest for the Ondo State House of Assembly in Akure South Constituency 1 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In a Letter of Intent to leaders of the party, Adeniyan, who is a former National Ex-Officio and former State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, asked them to consider his contributions to the development of the community and pick him as the party’s candidate.
Adeniyan was the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the APC campaign for the just concluded bye-election into the House of Representatives in Akure South/Akure North federal constituency, which was won by the party.
The letter read in part: “Distinguished leaders and members of the APC, I wish to inform you of my interest in vying for the ticket of our great party to contest for the Ondo State House of Assembly in Akure South Constituency 1.
“My name is Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, born into the Owaruayo Family at Oritagun in Akure. I am a media entrepreneur and I run a weekly news publication, TRACE News Magazine, published in Akure.
“In the coming days, I will be meeting members of our party in the six wards to seek your support and intimate you with my plans for the development of the constituency, the party and its members if given the opportunity to serve.
“I therefore plead for your support towards this journey to Engage, Build, Empower and Network for the progress of our constituency.”
Presenting his background to the party leaders, Adeniyan, who has authoured two books, wrote:
“I began my journalism career in the year 2000 when I joined The Hope Newspaper (Owena Press Ltd) as a trainee reporter before having a one year stint as Ondo/Ekiti State Correspondent for TREASURE News Magazine, Lagos. I then became a Staff Reporter of The Hope Newspaper on January 1, 2002. Between 2002 and 2006, I was a member of the Press Crew to Governor Adebayo Adefarati and Governor Olusegun Agagu.
“In April 2009, I was appointed the Chief Sub Editor of The Hope Newspaper, a position I held until November of the same year when I resigned voluntarily from The Hope and joined Sunshine Daily Watch (now rested), the first daily newspaper published in Ondo State, as Managing Editor and later Editor.
“In January 2011, I left Sunshine Daily Watch to start TRACE News Magazine which is the first and only weekly news magazine published in Ondo State.
“I was the Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union Government of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti in the 1998/1999 academic session; the Vice Chairman and later Chairman of the Owena Press Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) between 2006 and 2008. I was elected President of the Owena Press Limited Cooperatives Multipurpose Society in 2009.
“Between 2011 and 2014, I was the General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council. During that period, I was an active member of the State Executive Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ondo State Council and State Executive Committee, Public Service Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Ondo State Council.
“I also served as a National Ex-Officio of the NUJ between 2015 and 2017. I am a member, Board of Governors, C.A.C Adu Memorial High School, Akure (2005 to Date); Member, Akure Community Development Forum (ACDF) and Patron, National Association of Akure Students.
“While not condemning the current occupier of the seat, Hon. Simeon Borokini, who is a fellow APC member, I believe I have what it takes to make better use of the position, for the benefits of the government, party members and the people of the constituency.”