The Traffic

Court Tosses Out NANS' Legal Challenge Over ASUU Strike Amid Leadership Dispute

In a twist that underscores the deepening cracks within Nigeria’s student leadership, the National Industrial Court in Abuja has officially struck out a lawsuit filed by a faction of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) aimed at forcing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government to end their protracted strike.

The case, which had stirred public attention, was initiated last week by Umar Faruk Lawal—who claimed to be NANS President. His move to drag ASUU, the Minister of Education, and the Attorney-General of the Federation to court came as a desperate plea to break the deadlock that has kept university gates shut since February 14, 2022.

However, at Tuesday’s hearing, the momentum shifted. Presiding Justice Polycarp Hamman announced the dismissal of the suit after Lawal formally requested to withdraw it. According to Lawal, his decision followed internal backlash within NANS, with rival student leaders disputing both his authority and the legitimacy of his legal action.

Lawal had originally filed the suit (NICN/ABJ/273/2022) on behalf of NANS, citing ASUU as the first respondent and naming the Education Minister and the Attorney-General as co-defendants. But with questions swirling around his claim to leadership, the foundation of the case crumbled.

ASUU’s legal counsel, Marshal Abubakar, expressed no objection to the motion for withdrawal. Though lawyers for the federal ministers were absent, Justice Hamman saw no reason to prolong the matter and struck it out accordingly.

The incident adds another layer to the ongoing academic saga, highlighting not just the government-ASUU impasse, but also internal disarray within the student body—leaving the fate of Nigeria’s public university students hanging in limbo. 

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna