The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Abuja, says the Society will challenge the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT in Abuja that invalidated the election of its officers at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Agbaza had on February 3, 2021, nullified the election of the Cooperative officers elected in June last year, on the grounds that the constitution of the cooperative society was not adhered to.
Counsel to the Co-operative Society, Ibrahim Idris said that the judgment delivered by Justice Charles Agbaza would be tested at the Appellate Court.
The counsel predicated the decision to go on appeal on the grounds that the trial court ought not to have dabbled into the internal affairs of the Cooperative Society.
According to him, ”the issue of the Cooperative Society election to select management officers was purely a domestic affairs of the members of the society and that the court lacks jurisdiction to have delved into the matter.”
Mr. Agada Agbo, Egahson Salifu and other retired NNPC Staff challenged the election that produced the current officers of the Cooperative Society .
The plaintiffs claimed that ”section 20 of the Bye-Law of the Cooperative society was violated by adopting an online voting system as against the balloting or electronic voting stipulated by the law.”
They further challenged the election on the grounds that a Registrar who did not supervise the election performed the inauguration of the elected officials contrary to the provisions of the law.
In his judgment, Justice Agbaza agreed that section 20 of the Bye-Law of the Cooperative society was violated by adopting an online system as against the balloting required by law.
The judge therefore nullified the election and ordered that an electoral committee be constituted to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
