Controversy has continued to trail the conduct of elections into the Delta State Executive Council of The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) as the Comrade Ezeko Okwudi led incumbent Exco defied a court order not to conduct elections into various positions of the union.
The Yenegoa Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC) presided over by His Lodship Hon. Bashar A. Alkali in Suit No.NCIN/YEN/51/2019 which was sighted by our correspondent had restrained the Mr. Ezeko Okwudi led Delta State NULGE from conducting fresh election pending the determination of the case instituted against them by it’s members.
The Judge thereafter adjourned the matter to the 6th of December, 2019 for adoption of processes while admonishing parties not to do that will render the suit before it nulgatory.
This ruling was a reinteration of the court’s earlier ruling on the matter which was delivered on the 1st of November, 2019. It will be recalled that the Hon Justice Bashar had on that ocassion 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.”
Our Correspondent further gathered that besides defying the court order, the delegates’ conference which purportedly retuned 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 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.
Meanwhile, the State NULGE Presidential candidate, Comrade Ijolo Omo-Ohwo, and his team have lodged a prostest with the National President, the Local Government Service Commission and the Security agencies calling for the immediate cancellation of the 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 the the conduct runs against the rules of the 2019 election regulation of the union, alleging that the Presidential candidate, comr. Ijolo in company of his team were arrassed and denied entrance into the election venue until the intervention of the DSS officers after voting had began.
It was also gahered 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 and others.