A labour leader in Rivers State, Ikechukwu Foster Onyefuru, has instituted two suits before the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt, challenging the alleged unconstitutional suspension of his chairmanship of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state and the dissolution of an elected branch executive of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The 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, a senior staff member of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, formerly Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), is challenging his suspension as Chairman of the Rivers State Council of TUC.
The claimant, who is also the elected Chairman of the former SPDC Branch of PENGASSAN, now Renaissance Africa Energy Company (RAEC), said he had served as TUC Rivers State Chairman since September 26, 2022.
He joined the TUC, its National President, Comrade Festus Osifo, Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ogan, and Secretary-General, Comrade Abba Toro, as defendants in the suit.
According to the court documents, the dispute arose from a suspension notice dated June 25, 2024, referenced TUC/HO/ADM/24/163, which accused Onyefuru of misconduct and disregard for the Congress by granting press interviews without approval from the national secretariat.
The action reportedly followed an earlier query issued to him on June 20, 2024.
Onyefuru is asking the court to declare his suspension unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void, arguing that the disciplinary action did not comply with the provisions of the 2024 TUC Constitution.
He contended that the constitution vested disciplinary powers over an elected state chairman in the appropriate organs of the Congress, including the National Executive Council, Central Working Committee or National Administrative Council, subject to due process and a fair hearing.
The claimant further argued that the issuance of a query and his subsequent apology could not, by themselves, constitute a substitute for the formal disciplinary procedure prescribed by the union’s constitution.
Onyefuru said attempts to resolve the matter internally had failed, citing, among other efforts, a letter dated May 6, 2025, in which he requested a meeting to address what he described as the state of affairs within the TUC in Rivers State.
He is asking the court to set aside the suspension and restore him to office for the unexpired portion of his tenure.
He is also seeking a declaration that any election or appointment of Ogan or any other person as his replacement is invalid, in addition to N10 million in general damages and N5 million as the cost of the action.
The second suit, NICN/PH/63/2026, involves Onyefuru and nine other claimants who are challenging the dissolution of the elected executive of the former SPDC/RAEC Branch of PENGASSAN.
The claimants, who described themselves as members of the dissolved Branch Executive Council and concerned members of PENGASSAN, said they were elected on August 30, 2024, for a three-year tenure scheduled to expire in August 2027.
They alleged that PENGASSAN dissolved the elected executive on May 9, 2025, and subsequently constituted a caretaker committee headed by Akpe Emmanuel.
According to the claimants, the dissolution came shortly after Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings completed its acquisition of SPDC shares on March 13, 2025.
They are asking the National Industrial Court to interpret relevant provisions of the PENGASSAN Constitution 2022, which they contend was the applicable governing instrument at the time of the dissolution, particularly whether the association had the power to dissolve an elected branch executive under the circumstances.
Joined as defendants are PENGASSAN, its President, Festus Osifo, its Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, members of the RAEC Caretaker Committee and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
The claimants have also filed a Motion on Notice seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain the defendants from recognising or treating the caretaker committee as the lawful leadership of the branch pending the determination of the substantive dispute.
They are further asking the court to restrain the defendants from excluding them from union activities and elections, as well as from enforcing what they described as compulsory PENGASSAN Foundation deductions.
The claimants referred to communications dated December 14, 2025, and January 30, 2026, concerning mandatory check-off deductions for the PENGASSAN Foundation.
They said they had earlier objected to the deductions in a letter addressed to the management of RAEC on January 5, 2026.
The two cases place questions of union constitutional authority, disciplinary procedure, elected tenure and the powers of national labour organisations over their state and branch structures before the National Industrial Court.
The suits remain pending before the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division, with further developments expected as proceedings.
