Chidi Topaz Olujie emerges President-elect of the NNAD

• Chidi Olujie has been elected the next National President of the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD)
• In a landslide victory, Olujie defeated Lukman Agbabiaka and emerged the winner in a general election conducted Tuesday, 29 September 2020 in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State
• The Abia-born businessman and philanthropist won after getting 150 electoral votes against 72 votes for his opponent, Lukman Agbabiaka
• Delegates from 36 states Deaf Associations all under NNAD had favoured Olujie over his opponent, Lukman Agbabiaka of the IT-Team
• Key candidates of the UPP-Team to where Olujie belongs, also had victories, including Haroun Mohammed (National Vice President), NSG, NANSG, and NWL
• In a handover ceremony, outgoing President Dagbo Suleiman Saka is expected to hand over reign of the leadership of the association to Chidi Olujie who is going to be the new Chief Executive of the NNAD
• All 36 states have state associations, many of which sent a total of 6 delegates each to Kano, and had determined the trajectory of the election
• The Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) is an organization for the promotion of the rights of deaf people in Nigeria

Chidi Olujie will become the next National President of the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) after the Deaf Abia-born businessman and philanthropist defeated IT-Team presidential candidate Lukman Agbabiaka.

A whopping 150 votes from the delegates had gone to Chidi Olujie, making him the winner. Mr. Lukman Agbabiaka had gotten a total of 72 electoral votes. There were a total of about 230 delegates up for grabs from across all the 36 State associations affiliated with but independent of the NNAD.

Delegates and Deaf citizens, including candidates’ supporters and stakeholders, had all traveled to Kano State for the 30th Annual Convention/AGM, scheduled to hold on the 26 through 29 September 2020. In addition to AGM, also held were the National Convention, press conferences, assessments of candidates, and nominations.

On Tuesday, 29 September 2020, a general election was held at the Ahmadu Bello Library, in the Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State to elect the next National President, National Vice President, National Secretary-General, and many more.

Other key contestants across the two contending parties include two candidates for National Secretary-General, National Assistant Secretary-General, National Publicity Secretary, National Youth Leader, National Social Welfare Officer, National Treasurer, and National Financial Secretary. A disproportionate number of Olujie’s party recorded victories.

Clearly, from the get-go, Olujie had been the Deaf community’s favourite to become the next National president. He had run a highly liberal, all-embracing, and organized campaign, and had traveled far and wide to State associations— touching down virtually on all the geopolitical zones of the country, including North East, North West, South East, South-South (also known as Niger Delta region), and South West.

The special education teacher and disability rights advocate had, during state-wide detours, met with a variety of people and personages in and beyond the Deaf community in Nigeria. He had encounters with kings, community leaders, politicians, as well as throngs of Deaf and hearing supporters.

The NNAD leadership, which includes the EC and the Board of Trustee (BoT), and the outgoing president Alhaji Dagbo Saka Suleiman, are currently making plans for a peaceful transition of power.

Chidi Olujie, together with other eventual winners, will begin an extraordinary process—for the next four years– of driving the affairs of the NNAD, Africa’s largest Deaf community.