SOJI AJIBOLA, Ibadan
The ongoing nationwide strike of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has frustrated the plan of the All Progressives Congress to stop Saturday’s election in 33 local government areas of Oyo State.
The APC counsel was prevented from filing a motion on notice to seek an interlocutory injunction to stop the election from holding as scheduled by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission.
The Deputy Registrar and all the Administrative Staff were locked out and barred from carrying out their statutory functions at State High Court Complex, Ringroad in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
The counsel were frustrated as all entreaties made to convince the striking workers to allow them filed the motion, noting its urgency, were met with a brick wall.
JUSUN Public Relations Officer, Oyo State chapter, Obafunso Okulaja, in an interview confirmed that all the gates were under lock and key..
According to him, “it is not true that touts wore our branded shirts to lock the gate of the high court. I have been here in the court since 5.45 a.m and I was the one that locked the gate, no other person did and that is why I am still here. I am the JUSUN public relations officer, Oyo State branch.
“The gate was locked because we have been on strike for over a month now, agitating for our financial autonomy. The national working committee declared strike action and there was a meeting at the national level yesterday in Abuja and after the meeting, a communiqué was raised, mandating the strike must continue and it was on that strength that we are here again today to enforce total compliance of the strike.
“That is why we are here and our branded shirts were made available only to members of staff alone because they are JUSUN members; no shirt was given to any tout as alleged. We are still here for anyone that wants to confirm or verify that.”