Eight suspended members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, have challenged their suspension by the union’s National Executive Council, describing the disciplinary action as unconstitutional and legally defective.
The aggrieved members, in a petition submitted to the National Ethics and Disciplinary Committee through the National Secretary, accused the NEC of relying on a nonexistent provision of the 2023 NUJ Constitution to justify the suspension.
According to the appellants, the NEC based its action on “Article 7 (5d)” of the constitution, which they claimed does not exist anywhere in the union’s governing document.
They described the decision as a “constitutional catastrophe,” insisting that disciplinary measures cannot be validly imposed under what they termed an imaginary constitutional provision.
“One cannot suspend members under a phantom constitutional provision conjured from thin air. A disciplinary sanction founded on fiction rather than law is null, void, and of no effect,” the petition stated.
The suspended members further alleged that the NEC was either misled or denied complete information concerning the Ogun NUJ electoral dispute linked to the controversial triennial delegates conference held on December 11, 2025.
Among the issues raised were the alleged improper constitution of the Credentials Committee, electoral irregularities, arbitrary disqualification of candidates, and breaches involving dues, nomination, and eligibility requirements.
The appellants maintained that they explored all available internal dispute resolution mechanisms, including petitions, protests, legal correspondence, and requests for dialogue, before any judicial intervention.
They also questioned the inclusion of some members who were allegedly not involved in any legal action, specifically mentioning Comrades Sekinat and Adejoke Adeleye.
Describing the suspension as oppressive and unjust, the petitioners said the action raised serious concerns about fairness and procedural integrity within the union.
The appeal also highlighted the case of Comrade Oluwole Shokunbi, a former two-term Chairman and former Secretary of the Ogun NUJ Council, who they claimed was disenfranchised despite meeting constitutional and financial obligations.
According to the suspended members, his treatment reflected a broader erosion of democratic values within the council and suggested that disciplinary structures were being used for political vendetta.
The appellants are seeking the immediate reversal of the suspension, public exoneration and apology for affected members, as well as safeguards against future reliance on what they termed fabricated constitutional provisions.
They warned that the controversy now goes beyond individual suspensions and poses a challenge to constitutional governance, transparency, and institutional credibility within the union.
“If constitutional provisions can be fabricated to silence dissent, then no member of the Union is safe from arbitrary persecution,” the petition added.
The group urged the National Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to uphold justice, fairness, and constitutional compliance in resolving the dispute.
