Union Election Disqualification: Chairmanship Aspirant Drags ATSSSAN To Industrial Court

All is not well among union leaders and members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN) branch of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) over the disqualification of a member seeking the chairmanship position in the forth-coming elections.

Already, the disqualified chairmanship aspirant has gone to the Industrial Court to contest his disqualification, while explaining that he went to court to seek the interpretation of the provisions of the ATSSSAN constitution on his disqualification.

The Chairmanship aspirant, Comrade Yahaya Danjuma who disclosed this in an interview says, the hearing of his case is billed for next week.

He said the provisions of the constitution as brought forward by the National Union for his disqualification do not hold water because he was once an Exco member of the union between 2012 to 2017 as a Public Relations Officer.

The aggrieved aspirant wondered why the union is bending the rules against him when the current/outgoing chairman who was never an exco member contested the election and won in 2017.

“The present chairman now was not in the exco when he contested the election with me in 2017, he was defeated in 2012 and he was out of the union from 2012 to 2017 when he contested with me and I lost to him in 2017, am coming out the way he did in 2017 after he lost the election in 2012 and am coming in 2022 and they are saying I must be in the exco before contesting, I said no, the constitution does not say I must be in the present exco before contesting the election”.

Comrade Danjuma said, he is surprised that, the constitution that was not applied in the case of the outgoing chairman of the union in the NCAA is suddenly being used against him, adding that, the same constitution has not even been amended.

“What about the current chairman that was not an exco member, he contested under the same president and under the same constitution and the constitution has not been amended. Why was the same constitution not applied to the chairman when he contested with me in 2017?”.

According to him, the action of the National body is an injustice, adding that, if there is a precedent on the issue that somebody that was not in the exco contested and won and he was not disqualified, why is he disqualified.

Explaining further, Danjuma stated that, the former electoral committee constituted by them had cleared him to go for the election but they dissolved the committee and constituted another one with people who will do their bidding and disqualify him.

“I was already cleared, they now dissolved them and brought in their people and the next thing they did was disqualify me”.

A document cited clearing him to contest the election by the first committee led by Paul Ajakaye read: “…..the electoral committee have no reason to disqualify Comrade Yahaya Danjuma and Comrade Edwin Imafidon, and thus declare them fit to contest the coming election”.

The first screening committee members are Paul Ajakaye, chairman, Adekunle Adesanya, secretary, Good luck Odemenem, member and Jatto Ishaq, member.

Responding, the National President, ATSSSAN, Comrade Illtrus Ahmadu said, he was disqualified because the constitution stipulates that, any member vying for the positions of chairman and secretary must be part of the outgoing exco, adding that, Danjuma’s disqualification is not personal but a constitutional matter.

“He is not eligible under the constitution, our constitution is greater than the mission of any member, if the constitution says you are not qualified must you hold everybody to ransom and why will a man take the law into his hands?.

Comrade Ahmadu emphasized that he can contest for other elective positions as the constitution says, he is not eligible for the elective positions of chairman and secretary, adding that this is what applies in all their affiliates.

On the allegation that he is against Danjuma contesting the election because he worked against him during his second term bid, Comrade Illitrus says, this is false as before his election for the second term in Ijebu-Ode, Danjuma came to him seeking to be part of his team, he said, he declined because he was not a branch office or delegate.

“I have my structures already, he has nothing to do for me and I told him when he went to lie to Danjuma(namesake) that he is disqualified because he worked for Danjuma and this is the man that came that he wanted to work for me. Is it about his person, what about the man who wants to run for secretary and he is disqualified, is he talking?.