Court Stops Nigerian Society Of Engineers Elections Over Alleged Manipulation
Justice Venchak Gaba of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has restrained the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) from conducting the 2023 election or further elections of the body slated for November 29 and 30.
The court also restrained Engr. Mrs Margaret Aina Oguntala from parading herself as Deputy President of NSE pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before the court.
Justice Gaba further granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Emeka Eze, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of NSE, Engr. C. Mbanefo, chairman of the 2021 Election Appeal Panel of NSE, their representatives, agents, privies, the NSE Electoral Panel, its Council and Board of Trustees, or anybody acting through them from the further inauguration of Engr. Mrs Margret Aina Oguntala as the elected President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, which is slated for January 2024 based on the society’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (MEMART).
The judge ordered that a Caretaker Committee be formed to avoid a vacuum in the leadership of NSE pending the determination of the suit and fixed January 25, 2024, for hearing the substantive suit.
The court further directed the NSE, its Council, the NSE Electoral Panel, the Board of Trustees, and anybody acting through them to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the claimant’s substantive suit before the court.
The order followed a Motion on Notice delineated M/490/23, brought before the court on Friday, November 24, 2023, through Salisu Umar Esq. with A.A. Liman Esq. and Charles Ikechukwu Esq. on behalf of the claimant, Engr. Joseph Akinteye.
In the substantive suit delineated CV/158/21, the claimant, Engr. Joseph Akinteye, who was a contestant in the 2021 NSE election, named the NSE, its Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Engr. Emeka Eze, the Chairman of the NSE 2021 Election Appeal, Engr. Charles Mbanefo, and Engr. Mrs Margret Aina Oguntala as defendants.
He alleged in his pleadings before the court that NSE, on December 9, 2021, conducted its 2022 National Executive Committee Members’ election through an online platform, but the election encountered issues related to data manipulation through hacking.
There were allegations that some people were said to have hacked the database of the organisation to manipulate the outcome of the election, and at the time, the sitting President, Engr. Babagana Mohammed delegated the task of informing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) about the situation to the then Deputy President, now the current President, Engr. Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil, after encouraging Wudil ‘to continue the process to its logical conclusion as a matter of integrity not only for NSE but the Nigerian nation.
He further alleged that former Presidents, Engrs. F. A. Shonubi, Olumuyiwa Alade Ajibola, Adekunle Mokuolu, and Mustapha Balarabe Shehu, all expressed disapproval of the irregularities, and the consensus was that the election should be cancelled.
Consequentially, the NSE election held on December 9, 2021, was therefore cancelled by its immediate past President, Babagana Mohammed, over an alleged “criminal cyber breach.”
While some members protested, the election results were eventually announced, albeit without the signatures of many candidates’ agents.
Affected members were directed to appeal to the NSE Election Appeal Committee. In response, aggrieved contestants and disenfranchised members filed appeals.
