The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Ibadan Division, has struck out the lawsuit challenging the conduct of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) election held on July 31, 2024.
The suit, marked NICN/IL/08/2024, was filed by aggrieved members of the union, who alleged irregularities in the re-election process of the incumbent Chairman, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed.
The petitioners accused the NUJ National Secretariat of manipulating the delegate list, conducting the election via an open ballot system in violation of constitutional provisions, disenfranchising members and allowing the participation of unqualified individuals.
Presiding over the matter, Justice J.D. Peter ruled that since the petitioners had voluntarily withdrawn the case, the court had no option but to strike it out.
The court noted that all pending applications were unnecessary, given the petitioners’ lack of further interest in prosecuting the suit.
However, it clarified that while the withdrawn suit could no longer be entertained, any other aggrieved parties still had the legal right to initiate a fresh action if they wished to pursue the matter.
As a consequence of the withdrawal application filed by the first petitioner, Fadeyi Babajide, the court awarded costs of ₦100,000 in favor of each of the seven defendants, totaling ₦700,000 against him for wasting judicial time.
The defendants’ legal representative urged the court to dismiss the case entirely, arguing that the claimants’ withdrawal signified their unwillingness to pursue the matter further.
On the other hand, Barrister B.D. Asanam, counsel for the petitioners, contended that the claimants were merely acting on behalf of a larger group and that their withdrawal should not necessarily bring an end to the case.
He further submitted that there were pending applications seeking to join additional interested parties to the suit.
Daily Links reported that the petitioners appealed to their supporters to remain calm, stating that they were reviewing the judgment and consulting with their legal team to determine their next course of action.
They reiterated that their challenge was not solely about the immediate outcome of the case but about setting a precedent for future elections within the NUJ.
According to them, “It is important that when such irregularities occur, they are challenged in the interest of justice and to uphold the integrity of the journalism profession.”
The suit was filed by Fadeyi Babajide of Federal Information Chapel and Saka Laaro of Correspondents’ Chapel, who alleged that the NUJ National Secretariat violated electoral procedures by altering the delegate list without proper consultation.
They also claimed that the election was conducted using an open ballot system instead of the constitutionally mandated secret ballot and that ineligible individuals were allowed to participate in the voting process, among other irregularities.
The petitioners sought an annulment of the July 31, 2024 election and a directive for fresh polls.
The respondents in the case included: Chris Isiguzo, former NUJ National President; Chris Atsaka, former Vice President (North Central); Achike Chude, National Secretary; Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, Kwara NUJ Chairman; Abdulhamid Gbadamosi Alaye, Kwara Election Chairman; Sulyman Bolaji Gobir, Kwara Election Secretary.
