One
of the contenders in the botched election of the correspondents’ chapel
of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Yemi Itodo,
has approached the Maitama High Court, Abuja, seeking an order of court
for immediate inauguration as the substantive chairman of the chapel.
A
source within the FCT Council of NUJ confirmed to our reporter that the
court bailiff served the council secretariat at Utako Abuja on
Thursday.
The
FCT Council of the union, had, on Saturday 20th October 2018, conducted
elections into various offices of the correspondents’ chapel, wherein,
Yemi Itodo earlier declared winner before the council cancelled the
election over alleged irregularities.
Acting
chairman of the Council, Mr. Primus Khaloba, who announced the
nullification, said that some members of the chapel brought a petition
against the election.
Irked
by the decision of Mr. Khaloba and his executives, the newly elected
officials of the correspondents’ chapel approached the National
Secretariat, where the matter is currently receiving attention.
It
was however, gathered that, the FCT Council under the leadership of
Comrade Emmanuel Ogbechie, without recourse to the pendency of the
petition at the National Secretariat, ordered a fresh election into the
correspondents chapel, slated for Saturday, 27th April 2019.
In
the originating summon dated 17th April 2019, Yemi Itodo is also
seeking “an order restraining the Defendants from conducting another
election or recognizing any other Exco apart from the Plaintiffs whom
were elected on the 20th October 2018”.
Accompanied
by 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Yemi Itodo and a written
address, the court was also urged to declare that, “the NUJ FCT
Correspondents Chapel election conducted on the 20th October, 2018
wherein the Plaintiffs were elected is lawful and in accordance with the
NUJ constitution”.
The
FCT Council chairman of the union, Ogbechie, the chairman of the
Credentials Committee set up by the Council, Mrs. Stella Okoh Esene and
the committee secretary, Osaretin Osadebamwen Patrick, were also joined
in the suit as defendants.
“Whether
having regard to extant constitution of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists (NUJ) Article 6(5) to the effect of the 20th October 2018
NUJ FCT Correspondents Chapel election wherein the Plaintiffs were
returned, elected, the Defendants have the right and authority to
conduct another election of the same union.
“If
the answer to question 1 is in the Negative, Wether the act of the
Defendants in organizing and attempting to conduct another election for
the NUJ FCT Correspondents Chapel is lawful and accordance with the
extant NUJ constitution”, the originating summon reads in part.
No comments:
Post a Comment