RENOWNED journalist, Alhaji Liad Tella has secured the House of Representatives’ ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Iwo Federal Constituency in Osun State. Tella beats his other two opponents, Mr. Suraju Abolusodun and Princess Funmilayo Lamuye, with 298 votes to 121 votes, and 43 votes respectively.

Tella, a Commissioner of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, until recently, has however dedicated the victory to the entire members of the party in the three local government councils that make up the federal constituency. They are Aiyedire, Ola-Oluwa, and Iwo local councils. He also extended hands of fellowship to the two rivals, saying they should join hands with him in order to ensure PDP victory at the polls in April.

The former Managing Director, now rested, Ibadan-based newspaper, The Monitor said he was in politics for socio-economic bargaining and advancement of the interest of the people in the Constituency as well as Osun State and Nigeria at large. He promised to deploy his wealth of experience and legion of contacts at state, national, and international levels to better the lots of the Federal Constituency.

Although a political scientist (M.Sc, Political Science, University of Lagos, 1984) by training, Tella began his alluring journalism career as a Senior Reporter at the Daily Times in 1978. He left in 1982 as Chief Correspondent (old Kwara State) to join Punch Newspapers Limited as News Editor.

He rose to become Acting Editor in 1984 before he quit Punch and joined Concord Newspaper as Foreign Affairs Editor and left in 2001 as General Manager, Sales and Circulation. Until last month, he was National Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF) of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abuja since 2006.