- The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Ogun State was disrupted as judicial workers locked the court gate due to a labour strike
- The strike, part of the NLC’s two-day warning strike against the fuel subsidy removal, hindered the tribunal’s proceedings
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal‘s decision in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was halted on Wednesday after judicial workers shut the court’s gate in the state capital.
Leaders of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have locked the gate of the Magistrates’ Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, where the tribunal is meeting, in accordance with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)’s ongoing two-day warning strike.
The warning strike in protest of the removal of fuel subsidies began on Tuesday and is expected to end today at the end of work.
According to the Daily Trust, the NASS tribunal has set Wednesday for the decision in a petition filed against Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi, representing Ogun West.
Dada Ganiyu Adeleke, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, filed the EPT/OG/Sen/2023 petition.
According to the State Chairman of JUSUN, Comrade Olanrewaju Ajiboye, judicial workers locked the gate in accordance with the national body’s directive on the two-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), he said.
When asked if he was aware that the election tribunal’s proceeding is time-bound, Ajiboye responded:
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.