NCS Defies Court Order, Holds AGM, Election in Bauchi

Emma Okonji

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella body of all Information Technology (IT) practitioners in Nigeria, last week, held its election in Bauchi State during its 2023 Annual General Meeting, against a Federal High Court order restraining it from conducting the election.

A member of NCS, Mr. Rogba Adeoye had gone to the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to challenge the formation of NCS’ electoral body, and got a ruling that restrained NCS from conducting any election until the hearing of the matter filed by Adeoye. The court had fixed November 22 for the hearing, but NCS defied the court order and held its election on August 9, 2023, where Dr. Muhammed Aliu Surajo was elected as the new president of NCS.  

Worried about the impunity of NCS to defy court order, Adeoye told THISDAY that he would be glad to escort the former NCS president, Prof. Adesina Sodiya to jail, for conducting an election against a Federal High Court order that restrained NCS from conducting the election.

Adeoye told THISDAY that NCS erred in the formation of the electoral body for the conduct of 2023 election because the composition of members of the electoral body negates NCS constitution. According to him, he drew the attention of Sodiya to the faulty process of establishing the electoral body, but explained that neither Sodiya nor the executive members of NCS listened to him hence he went to court to challenge the illegality in the formation of the 2023 electoral body.

Upon the filing of a motion ex parte on July 17, 2023 at the Federal High Court in Lagos, by Mr. Rogba Adeoye, the court on July 18, 2023, issued an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Nigeria Computer Society, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, Mr. Segun Adekunle, Mr. Olufemi Williams, and their agents from holding the NCS election slated for August 9, 2023, pending the determination of the originating summons.

The court then adjourned the case to November 22, 2023 for report of service.     

Reacting to the matter, Sodiya told THISDAY that NCS followed due process and did not defy the court order in anyway, as alleged by Adeoye.