National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo, has refuted claims that the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division has stopped the union from holding its 8th Triennial Delegates Conference slated for November 27, 2024 in Owerri, Imo State.
“Let nobody be deceived by what some people are spreading across social media platforms that election has been postponed. That one is fake news. We are aware of what fake news is doing to our media industry. Nobody is spared. Our people should just ignore it and get ready for our outing next week,” he said.
On the court ruling, he stated that the court fixed December 13, 2024 for ruling in the matter challenging the conduct of the National Elections of the NUJ.
Mr. Abdulwaheed Adubi had approached the National Industrial Court seeking to stop the election on the premise that the tenure of the present leadership of the union had lapsed since October 6th, 2024.
However, at the resumed hearing of Adubi’s application for injunction restraining the national leadership of the union from proceeding with the election, the trial judge, Justice Olufunke Anuwe, had refused to grant intermediate order of injunction against the defendants but rather adjourned the matter to December 13 for ruling.
“This matter is adjourned to December 13, 2024 for ruling on the application for injunction,” Justice Anuwe noted, shrugging off all efforts by the applicant to secure an order of the court.
Counsel to the defendants, Patrick Ediale, had earlier told the court that the National Executive Committee sought to be restrained by an order of court was not a body known to the Constitution of the NUJ.
He noted that rather what is created by the union’s Constitution was the National Executive Council(NEC), adding further that the other bodies sought to be restrained by the order of court including the Central Working Committee(CWC) and the Credential Committee, are bodies created by the Constitution of the NUJ but were not made parties to the suit of Mr. Adubi.
He therefore maintained that the court cannot make an order against a party that is not before it, adding further that the court cannot make an intermediate order of injunction when the powers of the court to adjudicate on the claims before it were being contested.
The defence counsel had equally argued in his affidavit that the claimant (Mr. Adubi), who claims that he works for Money Central Newspapers, is not a legitimate member of the NUJ since the said Money Central Newspapers has no international standard serial number (ISSN) and thus does not exist.
“There will be more justice in refusing this application for the Claimant (Mr. Adubi) did not seek or resort to all or any internal mechanisms of resolving conflicts and disputes as provided in Article 7 (vi) (a) & (b) of the union’s constitution.
“Under the constitution of the NUJ, it is only when the CWC is dissolved that the state council Chairmen and Secretaries can take over and run the affairs of the 1st Defendant, NUJ.”
Counsel to the claimant, Barrister Sarafa Yusuff had pleaded with the court to grant an intermediate order to prevent the union from proceeding with her election next week.
Reacting to the Wednesday proceedings, the NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo thanked the court for refusing to bow to the pressures from the claimant to grant an intermediate order.
The President said with the situation, the union is not encumbered from proceeding with its triennial delegates conference by next week. He therefore urged delegates to the conference to get ready for the event taking place in Owerri, assuring them that everything has been put in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
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