Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
A Bayelsa state high court has issued an interim injunction halting the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) from proceeding with its state council election, originally scheduled for October 31, 2024.
The election was intended to usher in new leadership for the state chapter of the union.
The injunction was granted under Suit No: BYHC/YHC/328/2024, with Justice I.A. Uzakah presiding. The ruling restrains the incumbent chairman, Samuel Numonengi; the outgoing secretary and chairmanship aspirant, Ogio Ipigansi; and another respondent, Kalabo Frank Kalabop, from taking any further actions related to the election.
The court ordered that all activities connected to the election must cease until the motion on notice is heard and resolved. The case has been adjourned to November 4, 2024, for further proceedings.
In its ruling, the court also directed the applicants to file an undertaking to compensate the first and second respondents with one million naira each if the interim injunction is later deemed frivolous or without merit.
The ruling, delivered in Yenagoa, marks a significant moment in the leadership transition of the NUJ’s Bayelsa State chapter.
The legal action stemmed from concerns raised by union members regarding the election’s conduct and the role of the screening committee. The committee, led by I.A. Uzakah, Yola Amiefa, and Grace Orumieyefa, was also restrained by the court’s order.
