The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Lagos Division, has nullified the September 16, 2025 elections of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Chevron Branch, and ordered the union to conduct fresh elections within 30 days. The court also directed the South-West Zonal Director of Labour, Federal Ministry of Labour, Lagos, to supervise the fresh exercise and submit a compliance report within seven days after the election.

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The judgment, delivered by Justice Joyce A. O. Damachi on August 10, 2026, in suit No. NICN/LA/214/2025, also declared unconstitutional and void the dissolution of the Chevron Branch Executive Committee (BECOM) and Chapter Executive Committee (CECOM) by PENGASSAN’s Central Working Committee (CWC) on October 8, 2024.

The court invalidated the eight-member caretaker committee subsequently appointed to run the branch, as well as any extension of its tenure beyond the constitutionally prescribed three-month period. It further declared void the purported unilateral revocation of the Chevron Branch bye-laws by PENGASSAN’s National Secretariat on July 8, 2025, and ruled that the election guidelines issued by the national secretariat on July 30, 2025, were not binding on the branch.

Justice Damachi consequently set aside the September 16, 2025 delegate and executive elections and declared all offices assumed and actions taken pursuant to the election a nullity. The judge also granted a perpetual injunction restraining PENGASSAN, its officers, agents and privies from giving effect to the dissolved caretaker committee, revoked bye-laws or the nullified election. The court awarded ₦1 million in costs against PENGASSAN, payable to the claimants.

Court Faults Dissolution of Elected Executives

The case was instituted by seven members of the Chevron Branch — Sunday Ebulu, Ete Oyegbanren, Edwin Koloh, Samuel Akinfe, Fola Oyinbo, Alaba Fadola and Jeremiah Odior — against PENGASSAN, its National President, Festus Osifo, General Secretary, Lumumba Ignothemu Okugbawa, and members of the caretaker committee.

In its reasoning, the court held that PENGASSAN’s constitution constitutes the “organic contract” binding members of the association and must therefore be followed when dealing with elected branch executives. Justice Damachi found that the CWC lacked the constitutional authority to dissolve the Chevron branch leadership in the manner it did.

The court particularly faulted the process through which the dissolution was carried out, noting that the three-member Fact-Finding Committee whose report formed the basis of the action was not recognised by PENGASSAN’s constitution. The judge also held that prior approval from the National Executive Council (NEC) was mandatory before the CWC could dissolve the branch organs.

According to the judgment, the dissolution took place on October 8, 2024, while the NEC purportedly approved the action later, on December 3, 2024. The court therefore found that the subsequent approval could not retrospectively validate an action that had already been taken without the required constitutional authorisation.

Caretaker Committee Also Declared Invalid

The court also faulted the composition of the caretaker committee established after the dissolution of the elected branch leadership. Justice Damachi found that PENGASSAN breached its own constitution by appointing eight members, whereas Rule 31.4 provided for a maximum of five members.

The court consequently invalidated the caretaker committee and any extension of its tenure beyond the constitutionally prescribed three-month period.

It also upheld the validity of the Chevron Branch bye-laws dated February 10, 2017, as reviewed in February 2022, rejecting the purported unilateral revocation of the bye-laws by the national secretariat in July 2025.

Aggrieved Members Plan Fresh Election

Reacting to the judgment, former TUC Secretary in Delta State, Ete Oyegbanren, described the decision as an important step towards repositioning PENGASSAN.

Oyegbanren alleged that the national leadership had deviated from the union’s constitution and said the judgment had restored the right of Chevron Branch members to elect their representatives in accordance with the union’s rules.

He said preparations had already commenced for a fresh election at the Chevron Branch, with August 18 proposed as the date for the exercise.

“It’s unfortunate that every attempt was made to derail the association in the last few years. On the judgment, we have started enforcing it. By August 18, we shall organise an election for new executives of PENGASSAN at Chevron branch to come into office,” he said.

He also alleged that the national leadership might seek to delay implementation through an appeal, but maintained that the aggrieved members had not been served with any stay of execution and would continue with efforts to enforce the judgment.

Over 100 Members Back Judgment

More than 100 PENGASSAN members from different branches reportedly participated in a virtual media parley where they welcomed the court’s decision and called for greater adherence to the union’s constitution.

Former National Public Relations Officer, Kings Udoidua, described the judgment as a potential turning point in the members’ campaign to restore what they called the constitutional integrity of the association.

“In the history of PENGASSAN, we have never had this violation of the constitution,” Udoidua said, alleging that the association had increasingly become concentrated around the interests of one individual.

Former branch chairman of NNPC Exploration and Production Limited and former TUC Chairman, Edo State, Peter Asemota, also criticised the leadership style of the association under Osifo, describing some of its policies as draconian.

Other members who welcomed the judgment included Gbenga Ekundayo, former Lagos State TUC Chairman; Muhammed Mujib, former branch chairman of the defunct PEF; Owen Eburajolo; Kolawole Atikpo; Akinfe Samuel, Acting Branch Chairman of Chevron; and Fola Oyinbo, a Chevron Branch member.

The ruling adds to a series of legal disputes involving PENGASSAN’s internal administration. In January 2026, the National Industrial Court in Abuja also overturned the suspension of some members of the union’s NMDPRA branch and ordered the dissolution of a caretaker committee constituted by the CWC after the expiration of the branch executive committee’s tenure.

The latest Chevron ruling now places the union under a fresh judicial directive to conduct a new branch election under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Labour.