The current dispute, misunderstanding and rascality orchestrated by the Executive Committee of Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation, the United Kingdom South (NIDO-UKS) despite all olive branch towards its mitigation has taken a turn for the worse even to the extent of disobedience, not just to the Central Executive Committee of NIDOE but also to the decision of court of competent jurisdiction.
It is indeed time to wield the big stick on the recalcitrant few to end the era of disrepute, impunity and acrimony to the highly esteemed organization called NIDOE.
As it is in the public domain, from a statement signed by the duo of Hon Michael Otogo, Continental General Secretary and Hon (Dr.) Bashir Obasekola Continental Chairman, the crux of the imbroglio in NIDO-UKS was occasioned by the 2024 election preparations when the Electoral Committee, Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation (NIDOE) in alignment with Article 64 of the NIDOE Constitution, issued election guidelines to all NIDOE chapters. However, the UK-South (UKS) chapter deviated from these protocols, and decided to rely on its own internal convention guidelines favouring specific candidates. Of course according to the constitution of NIDOE, this deviation contradicted Articles 13.1, 13.4, and 47.5 of the NIDOE Constitution.
However, following a petition from Pastor Peters Omoragbon to the Electoral Committee (EC) NIDOE backed by other 34 UKS members and the three excluded candidates, explaining how unfairly the nomination process has been conducted in UK-South. The Electoral Committee (EC) of NIDOE verified the complaints and urged the UK South chapter to conduct a free and fair primary election among the financial members to choose amongst the 5 nominees.
In its intervention and resolution, the Board of Trustees (BOT) relied on Article 48.4, to direct the UKS chapter to reinstate the three expelled candidates, issue formal apologies for their unwarranted exclusion from the chapter, and then conduct a transparent primary election in line with the democratic norms entrenched in NIDOE’s constitution.
But rather than do all these, the disgruntled group, the Renegade NIDO UKS Executive Committee, has continue in disobedience to rule of law, in collaboration with non-financial members from few chapters of NIDOE, who believed that the Electoral Committee shouldn’t have paid attention to the petitions being written by the contestants from UKS, but rather concentrated on just organisation of the electoral process. They then requisitioned an Emergency General Meeting (EGM). However the point was clear in a letter from NIDOE dated 09/10/2024, indicating that the requisitioned EGM lacked any constitutional basis and violated Articles 56, 57.4, and 48.4 of the NIDOE Constitution regarding the procedures for such a meeting. Without the BOT’s sanction, such an EGM is termed invalid. These actions risk the unity and integrity of NIDOE as a democratic institution representing Nigeria across Europe.
Unfortunately, it was reported that because of the grievance the organizers have against the current Central Executive Committee (CEC), the NIDO UKS Executive Committee decided to invite nonpaying members of NIDOE and nonmembers of NIDOE from all the chapters just to ascertain the legitimacy of the EGM.
However, already it was this indecency, serial neglect and insubordination to constituted authority of NIDOE, that Pastor Peters Omoragbon, a strategic member of the NIDO UKS who was suspended and subsequently expelled by the NIDO UKS chapter went to court to seek redress to quash his suspension and expulsion. In its sagacity of judgement, the court sitting in the County Court in Central London, before His Honour Judge Gerald, on 15th October, 2024, gave ruling on the suspension order.
Joined in the suit were NIDO-UK South as first defendant and Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) as second defendant.
Contained in the judgement is the risk of imprisonment and asset forfeiture should the members of the Executive Committee of NIDO UK South act in contravention of the judgement of the court. In his ruling, the judge ordered the immediate lifting of the suspension of Pastor Omoragbon and restoration of his full rights and privileges pending when the full judgement would be delivered in February 2025.
The Judge said “Until the trial or judgement in this claim, the claimant’s suspension and expulsion on the 5th of August, 2024 is lifted. Meanwhile 13 January, 2025, has been slated to commence for the real trial.
It however smacks of repulsion, effrontery, temerity and contempt of the court that the renegade group on Saturday, 26th October, 2024, still convened what they called Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) again to challenge the authority of NIDOE.
According to them, the meeting had in attendance over 170 vetted and registered members across numerous European chapters, and claimed that the EGM aligned fully with the procedures outlined in both the NIDOE Constitution and the UK Companies Act 2006, which they said allowed members to exercise their legal right to take decisive actions regarding NIDOE leadership. It must be noted that whilst 88 non- financial members signed the requisitioned EGM, 173 financial members signed a rebuttal with a full vote of confidence on the NIDOE leadership and the Electoral Committee.
The so called EGM, a mockery of sort, said it passed a vote of no confidence on the Central Executive Council (CEC) led by Dr. Bashir Obasekola and the Electoral Committee (EC) led by Mr. Adesina Ayodele. Then they claimed they passed a resolution to dissolve both the NIDOE’s CEC and the EC, given long-standing concerns over Folashade Ope alleged mismanagement, constitutional breaches, and financial accountability lapses which sounded ridiculous.
In a letter signed for and on behalf of the so called newly selected renegade NIDOE Caretaker Committee, the so called EGM appointed a seven-member Caretaker Committee with the responsibility to oversee the operations of NIDOE and conduct an election within twelve months.
The so called EGM also decided that the dissolved authentic Central Executive Council and Electoral Committee must submit all NIDOE assets, documents, and financial records to the Caretaker Committee within seven days of their spurious communiqué.
They also announced the suspension of all chapter remittances to the central account pending directives from the illegal Caretaker Committee.
According to the rebellious group they claimed to rely on Section 303 of the UK Companies Act 2006, saying that the members of NIDOE have a statutory right to requisition an EGM to address urgent organizational issues, which they falsely claimed the former CEC neglected, contravening Section 304 of the same Act. This failure further substantiates the CEC’s inability to fulfill its obligations and reinforces the legal basis for the assembly’s actions. They now claimed that the Caretaker Committee holds full legal authority to act as per the EGM’s resolutions, as well as Articles 56 and 57 of the NIDOE Constitution. The rebellious group funnily added in their communiqué that CEC and EC’s resistance to these legally binding decisions may be considered an obstruction of members’ rights, a breach under EU and UK association laws, and could lead to further legal actions for non-compliance.
They also stated that should the dissolved CEC and EC refuse to comply with their funny resolution, they risk legal consequences under the UK Companies Act, which may involve penalties for obstructing members’ rights to governance, potential fines, and possible civil action in the event of continued non-compliance, saying that the Caretaker Committee is empowered to seek redress under UK corporate and EU association law to uphold NIDOE’s integrity and the membership’s decisions.
To cover their illicit and disrespectful act they wrote that the Caretaker Committee was calling for cooperation of all NIDOE members.
It is very unfortunate that a few individuals for selfishness, pecuniary reasons or whatever reason have decided to bring disrepute to a once noble organization. What these few elements are seeking for is quite inconceivable. The genesis of the crisis was the inability of the NIDO UKS Executive Committee to ensure inclusivity in the conduct of the 2024 election of new Exco. And one may be forced to ask, what is the difficulty in throwing the gate open for all legitimate and financial members of the organization to participate in the NIDO UK SOUTH election? It is nothing but human ego. This constant disparaging, dragging of the name of Nigeria in the mud by a few recalcitrant and renegade group must be checkmated by NIDO worldwide so that Nigeria can comfortably take its rightful place among the comity of nations.
Ideally, the NIDOE has wielded the big stick by issuing a disclaimer to warn members of the Nigerian community in Europe and the public against dealing with members of the so called caretaker committee, adding that no one should pay any money to a spurious bank account presented by these elements. The organisation assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any loss or damage of whatever nature (direct, indirect, consequential, or other), whether arising in contract, tort, law, or otherwise, which may arise from any deal with these individuals.
