The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Lagos, has directed all parties involved in the leadership dispute within the Chevron branch of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to maintain peace and cooperate fully with the court.
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The order was issued following a suit filed by seven senior staff members of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) who are challenging the dissolution of the branch’s executive committees and the subsequent installation of a Caretaker Committee (CTC) by the national leadership of PENGASSAN.
The suit, marked: NICN/LA/214/2025, was brought by Sunday Ebulu, Ete Oyegbanren, Edwin Koloh, Samuel Akinfe, Fola Oyinbo, Alaba Fadola, and Jeremiah Odior, acting on behalf of themselves and other concerned members of the Chevron Branch.
The claimants are asking the court to interpret relevant sections of the PENGASSAN constitution and to declare the actions of the national officers unlawful. They named PENGASSAN, its National President Comrade Festus Osifo, General Secretary Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, and eight members of the Chevron Branch Caretaker Committee as defendants in the matter.
At the last hearing, counsel for the claimants, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), withdrew a pending motion for interlocutory reliefs in a bid to fast-track the hearing of the substantive suit. The move was not opposed by defence counsel, Ambassador Sola Iji.
Justice Joyce Onugba-Damachi, sitting as a vacation judge, granted the application and ordered that the case be reassigned to another judge for accelerated hearing, noting that she lacked jurisdiction to determine the main suit during the court’s vacation period.
According to court filings, the Chevron Branch had operated under a set of bye-laws adopted in 2017 and approved by the national body until a leadership crisis emerged in September 2024. The claimants stated that following a vote of no confidence in the branch chairman by the executive council, the national president and general secretary responded by dissolving both the branch and chapter executives in October 2024.
The claimants contend that this action violated Rule 32.4 of the union’s constitution, which stipulates that caretaker committees should not exceed five members and should serve no longer than three months. They further allege that no disciplinary processes were followed prior to the dissolution and that the committee’s tenure has been unlawfully extended, most recently on April 7, 2025.
They are also challenging the revocation of the branch bye-laws, arguing that no formal resolution from the National Executive Council has been issued to that effect. In addition, they dispute the legitimacy of election guidelines released on July 30, 2025, which altered the usual order of elections and permitted the caretaker committee to appoint, rather than allow members to elect, delegates.
Claimant Sunday Ebulu claimed these actions have disenfranchised over 1,200 members of the Chevron Branch and risk undermining the peace and progress of the union.
Justice Onugba-Damachi emphasized the need for all parties to act with restraint and cooperate with the judiciary to enable a timely resolution of the crisis.
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