A Federal High Court has issued an order restraining Dr. Uche Odionyenma from further parading himself as the President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).
The interim order, issued ex-parte on October 30 by Justice Simon Amobeda, sitting in Kano, is to subsist until the hearing of a motion on notice for injunctions filed along with a substantive suit.
A copy of the enrolled order seen in Abuja on Saturday, showed that the judge also directed that the originating summons and other documents in the suit, marked: FHC/KN/CS/413/2024 shall be served outside jurisdiction on Odionyenma.
Justice Amobeda added: “The order of this court and processes herein shall be served on the respondent (Odionyenma), who shall respond within five days from the date of service.
“Accelerated hearing of this matter is ordered. This matter is adjourned to 13th day of November 2024 for hearing.”
While Odionyenma is listed as the sole defendant, plaintiffs in the suit are: Comrade Shehu Danjuma, Comrade Asika Innocent, Comrade Alhassan Gimba, Agwo Dagen, Namnso Akpan, Okeh Nwofoke, Ademiluyi David, Abubakar Usman, Okibe Odo, Oge Friday, Muhammad Danjuma and Faruk Ladan.
The plaintiffs are, in the suit, accusing Odionyenma of among, others, attempting to forcefully assume the leadership of the association unlawfully.
They stated that the tenure of the association’s 14th President, Prof. James Garba Damen ended on November 18, 2023, following which Dr. Casmir Cajetan Ifeanyi was duly elected as his successor.
The plaintiffs added that, without participating in any election or being appointed, Odionyenma allegedly began claiming to be the association’s president.
They are, in the substantive suit, praying the court for an order restraining the defendant from parading himself as the President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).
The plaintiffs also want an order declaring that Odionyenma is not a validly elected officer of AMLSN.
They are equally seeking an order that any actions taken by Odionyenma in his purported capacity as President be deemed null and void.
They hinged their prayers on the grounds that the constitution of AMLSN stipulates that every officer shall hold office for a single term of three years unless removed or resigned.
The plaintiffs added that since Ifeanyi was elected in the election conducted by the association’s Ad-hoc National Electoral Committee (ANEC)on November 18, 2023 the defendant has not participated in any other election conducted by ANEC since 2020.
They claimed that Odionyenma was not eligible to hold office due to prior indictment and that he is not a financial member of AMLSN by virtue of the association’s Administrative Guidelines.
The plaintiffs added: “There is no court order nullifying Dr. Casmir Cajetan Ifeanyi’s election or challenging his presidency.
“The actions taken by the counsel of the defendant to swear in the defendant were personal and not supported by any constitutional provision or court order.”
The defendant is yet to file his defence to the suit.