Follow Us on Google
The leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), at the weekend, moved swiftly to reassure members following a controversial court judgment that has reignited a long-running leadership dispute.
In a strongly-worded statement issued in Abuja, the union’s top officials called for calm, insisting that the April 15, 2026, judgment obtained by the former union president, Innocent Bola-Audu, was already being challenged at the appellate level.
National president, Shehu Mohammed, alongside Secretary-General Joshua Apebo, confirmed that a formal notice of appeal has been filed, accompanied by a motion seeking a stay of execution of the ruling.
“We urge all our members nationwide to remain calm,” the statement read, “as we have exercised our constitutional right of appeal and taken immediate legal steps to address the judgment.”
The leadership dismissed any suggestion that the ruling alters the current structure of the union, stressing that Bola-Audu holds no authority to dissolve or interfere with the Central Working Committee (CWC).
According to the union, the CWC remains the legitimate leadership body, having been duly elected during the 5th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference held on August 12, 2024, in Lagos, under the observation of key statutory stakeholders.
“It must be emphasised,” the statement continued, “that no individual, including Bola-Audu, has the legal authority to sack elected members of the CWC or dismiss the Secretary-General and other staff of the union.”
The latest legal drama comes against the backdrop of an earlier ruling by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on July 9, 2024, which declared that Bola-Audu’s tenure ended on July 29, 2024, after completing his four-year mandate.
The court had also ordered that he be paid N3 million as compensation for legal expenses—an order the union claims he has consistently refused to accept.
“All efforts to ensure he receives the court-awarded compensation have been rebuffed,” the leadership alleged, adding that Bola-Audu had instead continued to claim he would regain his position through influence.
The ASCSN leadership expressed outrage over what they described as a pattern of misleading the courts, accusing Bola-Audu of falsely claiming he was re-elected at a supposed delegates’ conference.
Other News
“This is a clear case of impunity,” the statement declared. “It is deeply troubling that such claims could even be presented before a court of law.”
They also recalled a separate legal episode in 2022, when Bola-Audu secured an ex parte order from a Federal High Court in Lagos granting him access to the union’s national secretariat.
However, that order was later overturned after the court found that material facts had been misrepresented.
The union said Justice D.E. Osiagor, who presided over the case, did not hide his displeasure. “The court frowns at those who use the machinery of justice for mischievous purposes,” he stated while setting aside the earlier ruling.
Despite the escalating legal battle, ASCSN leaders maintained confidence in the judicial process, expressing optimism that the Court of Appeal will overturn the latest judgment.
“Justice will prevail,” the statement said. “Truth will always triumph over falsehood when the full facts and the law are properly considered.”
The leadership further reminded members that the union operates as a democratic institution, not a personal enterprise.
“ASCSN is not owned by one man to be run like an empire,” they stated firmly.
In a further twist, the union referenced Bola-Audu’s expulsion in 2021 following his arrest by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over alleged human trafficking and exploitation charges that remain under judicial consideration.
As uncertainty lingers, the ASCSN president called on members to stay focused on the union’s core objectives and avoid distractions.
“We remain confident that the appellate court will correct this situation,” he said, “and we urge all members to remain united and law-abiding during this period.”
