The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has barred the Nigerian Society of Engineers from conducting its election scheduled for November 29 and 30.
Justice Venchak Gaba, in addition, stopped Mrs Margaret Oguntala (4th defendant) from parading herself as Deputy President of NSE, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the court.
The judge also granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st to 3rd defendants, their representatives, agents, privies, the NSE Electoral Panel, its Council and Board of Trustees, and/or anybody acting through them from inaugurating Oguntala (4th defendant) as the elected President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Justice Gaba, who fixed January 25, 2024, for hearing of the substantive suit, directed NSE, its Council, NSE Electoral Panel and Board of Trustees, and/or anybody acting through them to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the claimant’s substantive suit before the court.
The judge further ordered that a caretaker committee be formed to avoid a vacuum in the leadership of NSE pending the determination of the suit.
The order, which was obtained on Sunday, followed a motion on notice marked: M/490/23 and was brought before the court on Friday, November 24, 2023, through the claimant’s lawyers, Salisu Umar, A.A. Liman and Charles Ikechukwu.
In the substantive suit, marked: CV/158/21, the claimant, Joseph Akinteye, who was a contestant in the 2021 NSE election, named the NSE, its Chairman of Board of Trustees, Emeka Eze, the Chairman of NSE 2021 Election Appeal, Charles Mbanefo and Oguntala, as defendants.
According to the suit, the NSE had on December 9, 2021, conducted its 2022 National Executive Committee members’ election through an online platform.
The election was allegedly marred by data manipulation through hacking.
Punch