In a fresh twist to the legal battle over the 2024 Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) election, an appeal has been filed against the ruling of the National Industrial Court, Ibadan, which struck out the initial suit challenging the election process.
The appeal, brought by interested party, seeks leave of the Court of Appeal to challenge the lower court’s decision in Suit No: NICN/IL/08/2024, which dismissed the case filed by aggrieved journalists.
The suit initially filed by Fadeyi Babajide of Federal Information and Saka Laaro of Correspondents’ Chapels alleged irregularities in the election that returned Abdullateef Olarewaju Ahmed as NUJ Chairman.
One of the contestants in the election, Dare Akogun of Sobi FM Chapel, in his application, argued that the National Industrial Court erred by dismissing the case despite a pending motion seeking his joinder as a party to the proceedings.
He asserted that he was a key contestant in the election and that the claimants, whose suit was struck out, were among his supporters who were disenfranchised through alleged unlawful disqualification of their Chapels.
“The Claimants’ withdrawal was not reflective of the broader injustice suffered by many members of the NUJ Kwara Council. The alleged irregularities, including the manipulation of the delegate list and unlawful disqualification of members, significantly impacted the election’s outcome,” Akogun argued in his appeal.
The National Industrial Court, in its March 4, 2025 ruling, struck out the case after the claimants voluntarily withdrew their suit.
Justice J.D. Peter, in his judgement, held that the withdrawal rendered all pending applications unnecessary.
The court further awarded costs of ₦700,000 against the first petitioner, Fadeyi Babajide, for what was described as wasting judicial time.
However, the aggrieved members and their legal representatives have maintained that the matter is far from over.
Counsel to the petitioners, Issa Mansuma, had emphasized that while the initial claimants withdrew, other aggrieved parties retain the right to seek legal redress.
“Justice must be served. The alleged electoral fraud affected the credibility of the election and undermined the democratic principles that the NUJ stands for,” Aggrieved members stated.
Daily Links gathered that the appeal challenges the lower court’s failure to consider Akogun’s application for joinder before dismissing the case.
The appellant contends that the disqualification of members from the Federal Information, State Information and Correspondents’ Chapels was unconstitutional and unjustly influenced the election outcome in favour of the incumbent chairman.
The disputed election, held on July 31, 2024, has remained a subject of contention within the Kwara NUJ, with accusations of vote manipulation and disenfranchisement dominating discussions.
The petitioners had originally sought an annulment of the election and a fresh poll to ensure fairness and transparency.
With the appeal now before the Court of Appeal, stakeholders within the NUJ and the Kwara journalism community are keenly observing developments, as the legal tussle could set a precedent for future elections within the union.
