Industrial Court affirms Bauchi NUJ election, dismisses case against reelection

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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi

After more than one year of litigation over the election of new officials for Bauchi State Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Monday dismissed the case and affirmed the election of Comrade Umar Sa’idu led executive.

The presiding Judge of the Court, Justice Mustapha Tijjani dismissed the case filed by three members of the Union, Abdulwahab Mohammed of Voice of America (VOA), Kabiru Garba of Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) and Fatima of Ministry of Information and Communication against the re-election of members of the State Working Committee in 2023 for lack of merit.

In his 1:30hr Judgement, Justice Tijjani explained that the allegations made by Mohammad of VOA and two others on the election that produced the current leadership of the NUJ in Bauchi Council on violation of Constitution and non compliance with the due process was unfounded.

He confirmed that the petitioners did not exhaust the internal mechanism in laying their complain as laid down in the NUJ Constitution.

He therefore dismissed the case and affirmed the election result as declared by the Electoral Committee chaired by Afsa Bulak of NTA, Bauchi.

Speaking to newsmen on the development at the NUJ Secretariat, the Union Chairman Comrade Umar Sa’idu, said that the affirmation of their second term election by the court further demonstrated the will of members of the state NUJ.

He dedicated the court victory to the entire members of NUJ and reiterated his readiness to operate an inclusive leadership to achieve the set objectives, especially in training and retraining of members as well as protect their interest among other plans at all times aimed at moving the union forward.

Comrade Sa’idu thanked members of the Union for their cooperation and resilient during the court proceeding and commended the court ruling that vindicated the mandate given to them during the last year’s State Delegates Conference.