A Rivers State labour leader, Comrade Sir Ikechukwu Foster Onyefuru, has dragged the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) before the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt over alleged unlawful suspension and dissolution of elected union executives.
According to court documents, the two suits, marked NICN/PH/60/2026 and NICN/PH/63/2026, are pending before the Port Harcourt Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court.
In the first suit, Onyefuru is challenging his suspension as Chairman of the Rivers State Council of TUC, a position he said he had occupied since September 26, 2022.
He sued TUC, its National President, Comrade Festus Osifo, Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ogan, and Secretary General, Comrade Abba Toro.
The dispute followed a June 25, 2024 suspension notice accusing Onyefuru of misconduct and granting press interviews without approval from the union’s national secretariat.
Onyefuru is asking the court to declare the suspension unconstitutional, null and void, arguing that the TUC Constitution requires an elected state chairman to be disciplined through the appropriate organs of the union and after a fair hearing.
He is also seeking reinstatement for the remaining period of his tenure, an order invalidating any replacement appointed or elected in his place, N10 million in general damages and N5 million as legal costs.
In the second suit, Onyefuru and nine other members of the former SPDC/Renaissance Africa Energy Company branch executive council of PENGASSAN are challenging the dissolution of their elected executive.
The claimants said they were elected on August 30, 2024, for a three year tenure but that PENGASSAN dissolved the executive on May 9, 2025 and appointed a caretaker committee headed by Akpe Emmanuel.
They are asking the court to determine whether PENGASSAN had the constitutional authority to dissolve the elected branch executive under the circumstances.
The claimants have also filed an application seeking to restrain PENGASSAN from recognising the caretaker committee as the lawful leadership of the branch and from excluding them from union activities and elections.
The cases remain pending before the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt.
As of press time, the defendants had yet to file their responses to the claims.
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