The Lucky Osezuwa-led National Executive of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and National & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is illegal, the Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State has declared.
The setting up of a caretaker committee within four months which is expected to come up with an electoral committee that will conduct a fresh election has been ordered by the court..
In his ruling, Justice Bashar Akali said that both the 1st and 2nd defendants – the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha and the outgoing, National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Mr Salemor Akani Oladeti, breached the PTD bye-laws of NUPENG and the 1999 Constitution .
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It is only those who are Petroleum Tanker Drivers that are qualified to contest PTD Executive positions, the judge also ruled.
He added that the branch’s National Executive Committee, under the leadership of the 1st Defendant, has the obligation and duty-bound to constitute an electoral committee.
He said the committee will fix a date and modalities for the election that will be confirmed by the national leadership of NUPENG not later than three months at the delegate conference.
Justice Bashar also set aside the suspension and reinstated Comrade Godwin Ewrudgjakpor as the National Vice Chairman.
He described the action of Mr Salemor Oladeti in suspending his vice as a breach of not only the bye-laws of PTD – NUPENG, but also the Constitution.
“I set aside the purported suspension of the claimant” declaring the election which brought Mr Lucky Osezuwa Executive illegal:
“I set aside the purported election allegedly conducted during the delegate conference of the branch on the 30th day of June 2022 for being in breach of the operating bye-laws of the Branch (PTD) of the union,” he declared.
He also ordered Mr Salemor Oladeti to set up an Electoral Committee to conduct elections in the various national offices of PTD within four months from July 24, ,2023 and a caretaker committee to handle it.