Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress disrupted the inaugural sitting of the Edo State Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday due to the ongoing national strike.

Sitting had barely begun when officials of the NLC stormed the venue and ordered everybody out and shut the door to the building.

The tribunal was constituted by the State Chief Judge, and notice was given to concerned petitioners that the sitting would commence on Wednesday. It was gathered that the tribunal has 18 petitions before it and a limited time frame.

Read Also:

Labour Strike: NSA invites leaders for talks

The immediate past president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, was among those at the court to observe the proceedings.

Reacting, a counsel for one of the defendants, Samson Eraze, said, “Before the strike, we got a hearing notice for today and the inaugural sitting was supposed to be today (Wednesday) and because we didn’t get any other notice directing otherwise, we have to be here.

“We came fully prepared for the business of the day but before the commencement of the sitting, labour union leaders stormed the court premises and asked us to vacate the premises because of the strike action.

“The cases are time bound but we will wait for further directives. The time can be extended because this is not caused by any of the parties.”

On his part, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Edo State,  Odion Olaye, commended the level of compliance in the state and said the shutting down of the court was in compliance with the ongoing strike.