Day 2: NLC’s Warning Strike Stalls Election Tribunal Verdict In Ogun

The ongoing warning strike declared by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which entered its second day on Wednesday, stalled the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal (NASS-EPT) from sitting to deliver judgement on a matter earlier fixed to Wednesday in Abéòkúta, the Ogun State capital.

This is because leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state locked gates of the Magistrates’ Court at Isabo area of Abeokuta, where the tribunal had been sitting in compliance with the ongoing warning strike.

The NASS-EPT had scheduled Wednesday the 6th September as a date for the judgement in a petition brought before it by the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial district, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.

The petition, marked EPT/OG/Sen/2023 was filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dada Ganiyu Adeleke against Olalekan.

But speaking with journalists in Abeokuta, JUSUN State Chairman, Comrade Olanrewaju Ajiboye said members of his union were acting in compliance with the NLC’s national body’s directive on the 2-day warning strike.

“The tribunal is expected to sit today, but they (judges) are unable to sit because we have locked the gate of the Court in compliance with the directive of the NLC national body. This is why the Tribunal can not sit today (Wednesday)”.

“We can’t throw the gate open and allow tribunal to sit; that will mean we intentionally sabotage the struggle of the workers most especially the judicial workers.

“The tribunal has the right to sit anywhere, but this is our own premises, we can always close it as directed by the national body of the union”.

Meanwhile, situation remained the same over the ongoing warning strike as substantial number of civil servants in the state reported for work on Wednesday.

As at the period LEADERSHIP visited the State Secretariat Complex in Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, activities were ongoing without any hindrance at the Secretariat Complex.

Commercial banks in the Ijebu Ode axis of Ogun East Senatorial district, as well as in the Abeokuta metropolis also closed, except for few of them whose staffers were on a stand-by to offer skeletal services to the high profile customers.