Incumbent President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has been re-elected to lead the association for the next three years. Mr. Dwumfour polled 445 votes to beat his sole contender and media trainer, Charles Yao Mawusi, who garnered 245 valid votes.
For the Vice-President position, Rebecca Ekpe of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) won the race, polling 414 votes to defeat Daily Graphic’s Foreign Editor, Mary Mensah, who secured 272 votes.
Additionally, incumbent Organising Secretary Dominic Hlordzi was elected General Secretary of the association with 443 votes, surpassing two-time contestant Multimedia’s Akwasi Agyeman, who polled 247 votes.
In another keenly contested race, the acting Editor of Graphic Business, Suleiman Mustapha, was elected Organising Secretary with 365 votes, beating the GJA’s former Eastern Regional Chairman Maxwell Kudekor of Multimedia Group, who polled 321 votes.
Zadok Kwame Gyesi, a former Graphic Online staff member, was elected Public Affairs Director of the GJA with 431 votes. His contender, Caesar Abagali of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), secured 253 votes.
Similarly, Bertha Badu Agyei of the GNA was elected Treasurer of the GJA after securing 401 votes, beating Theodora A. Amedetor Yakunu of GBC, who polled 287 votes.
The keenly fought election saw national candidates criss-cross the country to canvass votes over the past month. Mr. Dwumfour first joined the GJA leadership as Organising Secretary before ascending to the Presidency and has now been rewarded with a second term.
Regional Executives
In regional executive positions, 49 candidates contested for Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer roles. While 17 candidates in the Ashanti, Volta, Central, Upper East, Upper West, and Eastern regions faced opponents, 31 candidates went unopposed.
More results and reactions will be carried in tomorrow’s edition of the Daily Graphic. Visit our online platform at www.graphic.com.gh for more on the GJA elections.
In the Central Region, GBC’s Kingsley Nana Buadu was elected Chairman of the association, while Senior News Editor of Multimedia Group in Kumasi, Kofi Adu Domfeh, was elected Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Some GJA members who went unopposed as Regional Chairmen include Desmond Cudjoe (Western Region), Michael Dewornu (Tema), Regina Benneh Siaw (Bono), Frederick Antwi (Bono East), Kwabena Ntow (Oti Region), Yakubu Abdul-Majeed (Northern Region), and Mohammed Fugu (North East).
Continuity
In his victory speech, Mr. Dwumfour said his re-election signalled “a clear desire for continuity, for the consolidation of our gains, and for the acceleration of the initiatives his first administration started.”
He emphasized that his second term would focus on building on successes, learning from challenges, and pushing boundaries to achieve more together.
“We will continue to advocate for better working conditions, improved press freedom, and greater potential for all media practitioners. We will intensify efforts to combat impunity against journalists, ensuring that those who attack or threaten our members are brought to justice, thereby creating a freer media environment for all,” he said.
Assurance
Mr. Dwumfour added that under his leadership, the media would continue to hold government accountable, be the voice of the voiceless, and provide accurate, balanced, and insightful information that empowers the public to make informed decisions.
He called on all stakeholders—including government, civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, and the private sector—to collaborate with GJA, noting that a strong and independent media is a partner in national development.
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