Tajuddeen Salahu Ilorin
The National Industrial Court in Ilorin, Kwara state yesterday ordered the halt of the State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) election.
The election is scheduled for Wednesday at the Union state Secretariat, Ilorin, the state capital.
The court acted on the petition forwarded to it by one Fadeyi Babajide and Saka Laaro accusing the immediate past chairman, Abdulateef Ahmed, chairman of the credentials Committee of the election, Badamosi Abdul-Hameed Alaiye of manipulating names of the eligible voters.
Also ordered to appear before the court are the Secretary of the credentials Committee, Sulaiman Jimoh Gobir, the National President of the Union, Mr Chris Isiguzo, his secretary, Mr Achike Chude, among others.
The claimants, sought before the court an order restraining the election officials from conducting, holding, supervising or taking any step to conduct the election of the NUJ.
They prayed the court for the setting aside of the poll pending the determination of the court on the petition before it.
Meanwhile, the claimants, through the petition forwarded to the court by the Lawyer , Barrister Issa Manzuma, sought the reliefs for the declaration that the National Secretary of the Union cannot change the list of delegates sent to it by the credentials Committee without recourse to the various chapels.
They posited through the petition that the preparation towards the election of the executive of the NUJ is characterized by fraud, malpractices and therefore should be declared null and void.
Included in the 88 pages summons served on the defendants is the judgement obtained in 2022 when the National Industrial Court ruled on a similar case involving the NUJ Benue State Council elections, where the court found that the National President of the NUJ and his executive had no powers under the NUJ constitution to clear or disqualify candidates
Earlier, there was mild drama ensured at the Union gate as ballif who came to served the process was denied access into the premises and Gobir bullied his colleague, Mosunmola Ayobami for collecting the summon.
Also played out is how the acting Chairman of the Sobi FM chapel, Kayode Adeoti, was ordered to delete any video made in respect of the assault that involved between the two electoral officials.
