TUC, PENGASSAN dragged to court over dissolution of elected EXCOS 

Trade Union Congress, TUC, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and their leadership have been dragged to court over their alleged unconstitutional suspension and dissolution of elected union executives in Rivers State.

A labour leader in Rivers State, Comrade Ikechukwu Foster Onyefuru, who instituted the action, in two seperate suits marked NICN/PH/60/2026 and NICN/PH/63/2026, before the Port Harcourt Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court, wants the court to see if the dissolution was lawful.

In Suit No. NICN/PH/60/2026, Onyefuru, the Chairman of the former Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, now Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, branch of PENGASSAN, is challenging his suspension as Chairman of the Rivers State Council of TUC.

Onyefuru in the suit said he had served as TUC Rivers State Chairman since September 26, 2022, joined the TUC, its National President, Comrade Festus Osifo, the Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ogan, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Abba Toro.

Onyefuru is asking the court to declare the suspension unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void, arguing that under the 2024 TUC Constitution, only the National Executive Council, Central Working Committee or National Administrative Council could discipline an elected state chairman after a fair hearing.

He maintained that the issuance of a query and subsequent apology could not substitute a formal disciplinary process, noting that efforts to resolve the dispute internally, including a letter dated May 6, 2025, requesting a meeting over the state of the TUC in Rivers State, did not resolve the matter.

The claimant prayed the court to set aside the suspension and restore him to office for the unexpired portion of his tenure and the declaration that the election or appointment of Ogan or any other person as his replacement is invalid demanding N10 million in general damages and N5 million as the cost of the action.

In the second suit, NICN/PH/63/2026, Onyefuru and nine other claimants, suing as members of the dissolved SPDC/RAEC Branch Executive Council and concerned members of PENGASSAN, are challenging the dissolution of the branch executive.

The claimants said they were elected on August 30, 2024, for a three-year tenure ending in August 2027, but that PENGASSAN dissolved the executive on May 9, 2025, and constituted a caretaker committee headed by Akpe Emmanuel.

The claimants, however, are asking the court to interpret the provisions of the PENGASSAN Constitution 2022, which they said was the governing instrument at the time of the dissolution, particularly whether the association had the power to dissolve an elected branch executive in the circumstances.

Joined as defendants in the suit are PENGASSAN, its President, Comrade Festus Osifo, its Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, members of the RAEC Caretaker Committee and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.