Court Begins Rivers TUC Election Suit Hearing

The National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Division in Rivers State has commenced hearing on a suit challenging the purported conduct of Trade Union Congress (TUC), State Administrative Council election (SAC) brought before it for determination .
The parties in the suit are claimant: Engr Fortune Obi one of the chairmanship candidates in the purported election, the chairman, SAC in Rivers State Council, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, who is standing trial as ,first defendant, immediate past chairman of state TUC, Austin Jonah, second defendant, while the national secretariat of TUC is standing as third defendant in the suit.
The claimant/applicant, Engr Fortune Obi had dragged the three defendants to the National Industrial court seeking for justice among other prayers sought in the suit for his unlawful disqualification to participate in the conduct of the purported election held on 23-9-2022 after he bought form and screened to contest for the position of the chairman.
He averred that rather making the election an open contest, the defendants rather declared the first defendants unopposed and also conducted the election at Air Force premises along Aba Road outside the union office which was a plot designed to disenfranchise him and his supporters.
leading the debate when the matter came up for mention, counsel to the claimant, Paul Nwankwoala (ESQ ), expressed misgiving that despite the assurances given to him by the baliff at National Industrial Court, Abuja that the suit processes will be served on the defendants and added he was shocked to hear the first and second defendants counsel saying that he was not served .
He therefore prayed the court to grant him short adjournment considering the nature of the case as it bordered on election matter added that the purported occupant of the chairmanship office was not supposed to be there.
In his own submission ,counsel to the 1st and 2nd defendants ,E.B .Ekong,esq who did not oppose the short time adjournment as requested by the claimant counsel ,however maintained that no service was served on him either from Abuja or here in port harcourt .
Ruling on the matter, the trial judge, justice F, J .Kola- Olalere adjourned the matter to 15,12, 2022 for further mention and directed the claimant counsel to pay for certified copies of the suit processes so that the defendants can be served accordingly .
The Tide reports that the national secretariat of the union was not represented by any counsel .

By: Akujobi Amadi