NUJ Polls: Divine Mandate Team Condemns Viral Video, Warns BCOS Chair Dotun Olaitan Against Disruptive Remarks

The Divine Mandate Team, a major bloc in the forthcoming Oyo State Council election of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has condemned a viral video featuring the Chairman of BCOS Management, Dotun Olaitan, describing her comments as reckless and capable of destabilising the union ahead of the December 9 polls.

The video, which circulated across NUJ platforms on Wednesday, showed Olaitan addressing a small group during a campaign, making remarks the team said were capable of “poisoning the atmosphere” and undermining confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Divine Mandate Team expressed concern that a public institution appointee could make comments it described as falling short of the ethical expectations of her office. The team noted that Olaitan’s suggestion that a few individuals could influence the outcome of the election was “false, dangerous and insulting to the collective integrity of journalists in Oyo State.”

The team reassured supporters that the video posed no threat to its campaign or prospects, insisting that whatever private agreements Olaitan referenced were “hers to keep explaining.” It stressed that the NUJ was not the personal property of any individual or clique and that only accredited delegates would determine the outcome of the election.

The statement also noted that chairmanship frontrunner, Comrade Adebayo Raji, was not mentioned in the viral clip—a development it described as a testament to his reputation for transparency and independence. It called on the two other contestants whose names were mentioned in the video to publicly clarify the circumstances of the alleged meeting, warning that silence could create unnecessary suspicion among delegates.

Urging restraint, the Divine Mandate Team called on senior journalists, stakeholders, and other well-meaning Nigerians to caution Olaitan, warning that her comments could erode the values of respect and decorum that the Oyo NUJ had maintained over the years.

Reaffirming confidence in the process, the team thanked its supporters for their dedication to the ideals of Raji Adebayo and urged members to remain peaceful, focused and vigilant as the campaign continues.

— Kunle Bakare, DG, Divine Mandate Team