By Toyeeb Omotayo
In a dramatic development in the contentious Kwara State NUJ election saga, Saka Laaro, one of the claimants challenging NUJ Chairman Ahmed Lateef’s election, reportedly collapsed at the office of the lawyer representing the petitioners in the case.
According to eyewitness accounts, Ahmed Lateef stormed the chambers of Issa Manzuma, the lawyer handling the case with Laaro unannounced without prior notice.
It is alleged that Lateef attempted to convince Laaro to withdraw the suit contesting his re-election as Kwara NUJ Chairman. However, upon entering Manzuma’s office, Laaro suddenly collapsed.
He was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
It would be recalled that Dare Akogun, a former Chairman of Sobi FM Chapel under the Kwara NUJ Council had alleged Abdullahi Olesin, Kwara correspondent for Leadership Newspapers, of interference in the case, reportedly pressuring co-claimants to withdraw the suit through meetings with their legal representatives and alleged blackmail tactics, despite not being involved in the case.
The July 2024 NUJ election in Kwara State has been marked by controversy, with allegations of voter manipulation and procedural misconduct at the center of the dispute.
Laaro, along with co-petitioner Fadeyi Babajide, had claimed that delegate lists were altered by the National NUJ Secretariat without proper consultation, undermining the election’s integrity.
Manzuma, counsel to the claimants, expressed surprise at the unplanned visit, stating that Lateef’s arrival was unexpected without prior appointment.
Before he could address the purpose of their visit, he said, Laaro collapsed, requiring immediate medical attention.
This incident raises fresh concerns about the extent of the alleged pressure being applied to challengers in the case and its potential health consequences for those involved, adding another layer of tension to an already controversial election dispute.
