Caretaker Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos State chapter, Patrick Omorodion, has defended the composition of the chapter’s caretaker and electoral committees, describing allegations of women’s marginalisation as unfounded.

Omorodion, a former SWAN National Vice President and former Secretary of the Lagos chapter, said the committees were constituted to restore order, reposition the association and ensure a free and fair election.

Appointed by the national leadership of SWAN on October 9, 2026, following the resignation of acting chairman Aron Akerejola, Omorodion said his appointment was intended to prevent a leadership vacuum and address the lingering crisis within the Lagos chapter.

In a statement, he traced the dispute to the suspension of Olatutu Oladunni, whose first term as chairman had expired. According to Omorodion, Oladunni failed to comply with directives from the national leadership to follow due process in organising a fresh election.

He explained that the caretaker committee subsequently announced an Extraordinary Congress to discuss plans for repositioning the association and conducting a credible election.

However, Omorodion alleged that Oladunni responded by mobilising a group of women to protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly over claims of marginalisation within Lagos SWAN.

Questioning the relevance of the protest to the association’s internal affairs, the caretaker chairman described the allegations as an attempt to attract public sympathy amid the leadership dispute.

He insisted that women had not been excluded from efforts to restore stability to the chapter, pointing to their representation on both committees.

“To put the records straight, in the three-man caretaker committee, there is a lady, Anulika Menanya, working with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),” he said.

He also disclosed that three women serve on the seven-member SWAN Electoral Committee (SWANECO): Jovita Eke of Wazobia FM, Tega Onajaife of Cool FM and Dr Suo Chapelle of SuperSport.

Omorodion argued that the presence of women on both committees contradicted claims that they had been marginalised in the process of rebuilding the association.

He further challenged Oladunni to identify the media organisations represented by the women who participated in the protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Reflecting on the origins of the dispute, Omorodion said the previous national administration under former SWAN President Honour Sirawoo had failed to ensure due process in the circumstances surrounding Oladunni’s emergence as Lagos chapter chairman.

He maintained that the current national leadership, headed by Isaiah Benjamin, had adopted a different approach by insisting on compliance with established procedures.

According to him, the disagreement escalated after Oladunni rejected the national president’s authority to intervene in the affairs of the Lagos chapter.

Omorodion said the caretaker committee was established following Oladunni’s suspension and Akerejola’s resignation to ensure continuity and prevent a leadership vacuum.

The former national vice president also alleged that Oladunni attempted to have him removed from his position by reporting him to the management of his employer, Vanguard Media, but that the effort was unsuccessful.

On the Extraordinary Congress, the Edo State-born journalist said notable sports journalists attended the gathering despite what he described as an attempt to disrupt the meeting through police intervention.

Omorodion, a former board member and spokesperson of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), maintained that the gathering demonstrated members’ determination to rebuild the association and restore its internal democratic processes.

Beyond the leadership dispute, Omorodion raised concerns about the Lagos SWAN secretariat, which he said was built for the association by former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.

He warned that the caretaker leadership would reclaim the facility when the time came and urged tenants conducting business with the current occupants to prepare for a possible change.

Declaring his intention to concentrate on the responsibilities of his office, Omorodion said he would no longer allow the controversy surrounding the chapter to distract him from his duties.

He called on members of Lagos SWAN, the national leadership and other stakeholders to support efforts to reposition the association and ensure that its affairs were conducted in accordance with due process.

The leadership dispute comes at a critical time for the Lagos chapter, with the caretaker committee expected to guide the association towards a fresh election and restore confidence among members.