TUC, PENGASSAN face court action over suspension, dissolution of Rivers executives

A leadership dispute involving the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has taken a legal turn, with a Rivers State labour leader, Comrade Ikechukwu Foster Onyefuru, challenging his suspension and the dissolution of an elected union executive.

The matters are before the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division, in two separate cases identified as NICN/PH/60/2026 and NICN/PH/63/2026.

Onyefuru, a senior staff member of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, formerly Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, is the claimant in the first case, in which he is contesting his removal as Chairman of the Rivers State Council of the TUC.

He said he assumed the position on September 26, 2022, and is asking the court to declare his suspension unlawful and restore him to office for the remainder of his tenure.

The dispute followed a suspension letter issued by the TUC on June 25, 2024, which accused Onyefuru of misconduct, including granting media interviews without authorisation from the union’s national secretariat.

The letter also referred to a query previously issued to him on June 20, 2024.

Onyefuru, however, argued that the disciplinary action did not comply with the 2024 TUC Constitution.

He maintained that only the National Executive Council, Central Working Committee or National Administrative Council had the authority to discipline an elected state chairman and that such action must follow a fair hearing.

He further contended that the query issued to him and the apology he subsequently made could not replace the formal disciplinary procedure prescribed by the union’s constitution.

The claimant said he attempted to resolve the disagreement without litigation, including through a letter dated May 6, 2025, in which he requested a meeting to discuss the state of affairs within the Rivers State council, but the efforts did not resolve the dispute.

Named as defendants in the case are the TUC, its National President, Comrade Festus Osifo, the Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Samuel Ogan, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Abba Toro.

Among other reliefs, Onyefuru is asking the court to invalidate any subsequent election or appointment of Ogan or another person as his replacement.

He is also seeking N10 million in general damages and N5 million as the cost of the suit.

The second case involves Onyefuru and nine other members of the former SPDC, now Renaissance Africa Energy Company, RAEC, branch executive council of PENGASSAN.

The claimants said they were elected into the branch executive on August 30, 2024, for a three-year tenure which was to run until August 2027.

They are challenging PENGASSAN’s decision to dissolve the executive on May 9, 2025, and replace it with a caretaker committee led by Akpe Emmanuel.

According to the claimants, the dissolution came less than two months after Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings completed its acquisition of SPDC shares on March 13, 2025.

A major issue before the court is the interpretation of the PENGASSAN Constitution 2022, which the claimants said was the applicable governing document when the executive was dissolved.

They want the court to determine whether PENGASSAN had the constitutional authority to dissolve an elected branch executive in the circumstances.

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

The claimants have also asked the court for an interlocutory injunction preventing the defendants from recognising the caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership of the branch while the case is pending.

They are equally seeking an order stopping the defendants from excluding them from union activities and elections or enforcing what they described as compulsory deductions for the PENGASSAN Foundation.

The claimants cited communications dated December 14, 2025, and January 30, 2026, regarding the proposed deductions.

They said they had earlier opposed the deductions in a letter sent to RAEC management on January 5, 2026.

The two cases are still pending before the National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt and no final determination has been made.

As of press time, the defendants had not filed their responses to the claims.

Attempts to obtain their reactions were unsuccessful.