Judge sends NAWOJ litigants to ADR

A National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has referred a suit challenging the conduct of the May 23,2019 National Association of Women Journalists’ (NAWOJ) (Lagos Chapter) election to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Justice R. Gwandu gave the order to enable parties resolve their dispute out of court.

The plaintiff Mrs Sekinah Lawal, filed the suit, challenging the declaration of Ekene Adeola as NAWOJ Lagos State Chapter Chairperson in the polls, by the Registered Trustees of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Adeola, the NUJ Registered Trustees, Ifeyinwa Omole, Ladi Bala, Mrs Abiola Beckley and Mrs Yemisi Adeniran were joined as first to sixth defendants in the suit.

On May 30, three of the six members suspected of be involved in the disobeying the order of the court stopping the May 23 election, begged for forgiveness.

Lawal and Adeola were candidates in the chairperson category of the NAWOJ election, but the National Industrial Court granted Lawal an interim injunction restraining the defendants from going on with the poll.

However, Adeola – in unclear circumstances – purportedly emerged as the winner and was sworn in as Chairperson, following which the judge, on May 30, summoned the defendants.

But Adeola, Beckley and Adeniran apologised to Justice Gwandu when they were accused of contempt.

The judge accepted their apology.

At the resumption of proceedings today , the judge observed that Lawal’s reply to the defendants’ counter affidavit filed by her counsel Adebayo Badmus, had introduced certain “controversial” issues.

The judge urged the parties to seek an out-of-court settlement.

Justice Gwandu said: “As the matter has become controversial and other matters have come to the fore, parties are advised to go for ADR on or before the second day of October 2019.”

Aside the suit, some NAWOJ and NUJ officials, including Ifeyinwa Omole, are also at the centre of an alleged N150million housing scandal, which is currently before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In her May 22 affidavit in support of suit, Lawal averred that Adeola was ineligible to participate in the polls having been disqualified by a seven-man Electoral Committee which screened candidates for the election.

She averred that upon constitution of the Electoral Committee under the Chairmanship of Grace Ekpoanwan Achum, the electoral committee screened all the candidates for the respective offices and cleared only candidates that met the requirement of the NUJ Constitution.