The Industrial Court sitting in Yanegoa, Bayelsa State, has declared the Mr Lucky Osezuwa-led National Executive of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and National & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) illegal.
The court has also ordered the setting up of a caretaker committee within four months which is expected to come up with an electoral committee that will conduct a fresh election.
In his ruling, Justice Bashar Akali said that both the 1st and 2nd defendants – the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha and the outgoing, National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Mr Salemor Akani Oladeti, breached the PTD bye-laws of NUPENG and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Judge also ruled that it is only those who are Petroleum Tanker Drivers that are qualified to contest PTD Executive positions.
He added that the branch’s National Executive Committee, under the leadership of the 1st Defendant, has the obligation and duty-bound to constitute an electoral committee.
He said the committee will fix a date and modalities for the election that will be confirmed by the national leadership of NUPENG not later than three months at the delegate conference.
Justice Bashar also set aside the suspension and reinstated Comrade Godwin Ewrudgjakpor as the National Vice Chairman.
They described the action of Mr Salemor Oladeti in suspending his vice as a breach of not only the bye-laws of PTD – NUPENG, but also the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I set aside the purported suspense of the claimant” declaring the election which brought Mr Lucky Osezuwa Executive illegal:
“I set aside the purported election allegedly conducted during the delegate conference of the branch on the 30th day of June 2022 for being in breach of the operating bye-laws of the Branch (PTD) of the union,” he declared.
He also ordered Mr Salemor Oladeti to set up an Electoral Committee to conduct elections in the various national offices of PTD within four months from 24, July. 24, ,2023 and a caretaker committee to handle the affairs of PTD pending the conduct of the election in line with Rule 10 of Ext. NUPENG 002.
Meanwhile, the Claimant, Comrade Williams Egwrudjakpor, who instituted the suit in May 2022, during an interview, said he went to court to challenge the actions of Mr Salemor Akani Oladeti and Mr Lucky Osezuwa for allegedly marginalizing him and other executive members.
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