Delta NULGE Chair Flouts Court Order, Risks Jail Term Over Delegate Conference

Comrade Ezeko Okwudi, the President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Delta state chapter risk being imprisoned following his refusal to honour a court order stopping a delegate conference of the association in Asaba, the state capital.

The Yenagoa Judicial Division of the  National Industrial Court (NIC) presided over by His Lordship, Hon. Bashar A. Alkali in Suit No: NCIN/YEN/51/2019 had restrained the Ezeko Okwudi-led Delta State NULGE from conducting fresh election pending the determination of the case instituted against them by members of the association.

In the court documents sighted by BIGPEN Online on Tuesday, the Judge had adjourned the matter to the 6th of December, 2019 for adoption of processes while admonishing parties not to do any act that would render the suit before it nugatory. 

The court had earlier ruled on the matter which was delivered on the 1st of November, 2019.

Delivering the earlier judgement, Hon Justice Bashar had ruled that: “the whole essence is to preserve the res. In view of that I admonish parties not to take anything or action that at the end may render the this suit to be an academic exercise. Counsels shall advise their clients approximately and in line with the provision of the law.”

But for reasons yet to be fathom, the Comrade Ezeko Okwudi led incumbent Exco defied the court order not to conduct elections into various positions of the union. 

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Sources alleged that besides defying the court order, the delegates’ conference which purportedly returned Comrade Okwudi as President was marred by grave irregularities and violence driven by desperation on the part of Comrade Okwudi to retain power by all means. 

“Members of the Union across the state are miffed that for the first time in the history of NULGE elections in Delta State, thugs were alleged to have been imported into the venue of the Congress which held at the Nigeria Labour Congress, Labour House,  to beat up and chase away one of the State Presidential candidates, Comrade Ijolo Omohwo and his team before proceeding to announce concocted results”, sources claimed.

Meanwhile, the State NULGE Presidential candidate, Comrade Ijolo Omo-Ohwo, and his team have petitioned the National President of NULGE, the Local Government Service Commission and the Security agencies calling for the immediate cancellation of the contention election. 

They described the election conducted by Ezeko Okwudi-led executive as “a purported seventh quadrennial state delegates conference which was held on Tuesday 26th November 2019. 

They stated that the conduct runs against the rules of the 2019 election regulation of the union.

The petitioners alleged that the Presidential candidate, Comrade. Ijolo in company of his team were harassed and denied entrance into the election venue until the intervention of the DSS officers after voting had began. 

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It was gathered however that the 3rd Presidential Candidate, Comrade Austin Emaduku who is contesting the legality of the entire process at the National Industrial Court  did not participate in the Congress.

Those who signed the petition include; Comr. Ijolo Omo-Ohwo, Comr. Lucky Atanie Onomakpoma, Comr. Sagba Anumenechi, Comr. Richard Lafua among others.