Eight suspended members of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have formally appealed what they describe as an unconstitutional, arbitrary, and legally defective disciplinary action imposed by the National Executive Council (NEC), citing the shocking use of a non-existent constitutional provision as the basis for their suspension.

In a formal petition submitted to the National Ethics and Disciplinary Committee through the National Secretary, the affected members described the suspension as a “constitutional catastrophe,” arguing that the NEC anchored its decision on “Article 7 (5d)” of the 2023 NUJ Constitution — a provision they insist does not exist anywhere in the Union’s governing document.

According to the appellants, Article 7 of the NUJ Constitution contains only three sections covering the establishment of the Ethics Committee, procedural guidelines, and penalties, with no Section 5(d) in existence.