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Olugbemi. Adeyinka Ogunleye
1 month ago
Overview
Tussle over IBB Golf Club trusteeship gets messier
The ongoing leadership crisis at the IBB International Golf and Country Club has escalated, with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Chairperson of the club’s Board of Trustees (BoT), dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja over her appointment.
The legal action follows weeks of internal wrangling that culminated in the Department of State Services (DSS) sealing off the prestigious club last month. The closure was reportedly triggered by a fierce leadership tussle, allegedly fuelled by influential individuals intent on derailing an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) aimed at addressing trustee vacancies.
In response to the turmoil, Minister Wike appointed a new BoT and tasked them with restoring order. He charged the board with organizing credible elections for the club’s Executive Committee, amending the club’s constitution, and ensuring its proper registration under existing legal frameworks. He asserted that the club remains under the ownership of the FCT administration and has not been privatized, justifying his authority to appoint a new board.
However, the legitimacy of this newly appointed board is now the subject of legal contention. Three members of the club—Ubong Esop Akpan, Tijani Abdulsalam Ogueyi, and Olalere Babasola—filed a suit challenging the legality of the trusteeship. Named as co-defendants are club captain Ibrahim Babayo, secretary Bola Aliyu-Faniyan, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and Chief Joe Kyari-Gadzama (SAN). In a motion ex parte filed on April 14, the plaintiffs are seeking an interim injunction to restrain the defendants from submitting the names of the Wike-appointed trustees for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020. They also seek to prevent the current BoT, led by Justice Dongban-Mensem, from presiding over the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for April 26—or any rescheduled date—pending the resolution of the main suit.
Additionally, the plaintiffs are asking the court to bar the trustees and their proxies from assuming office or acting as BoT members until the motion is heard. Justice Emeka Nwite, after listening to the plaintiffs’ counsel, Abdulaziz Ibrahim (SAN), ordered that the defendants be served notice and adjourned the case to April 22, 2025. In a sworn affidavit, Akpan argued that the club’s constitution requires trustees to be elected or appointed by members, not imposed externally. He noted no AGM or EGM was held to legitimize the appointments, referencing a 2011 Certificate of Occupancy issued to the club under a prior FCT administration.
Two senior club members, speaking anonymously to Golf Digest, declined detailed comment, citing the ongoing court proceedings. “I can’t speak on this case. As you rightly said, the case is in court and it will be prejudice,” one of them said. “All I can say now is that we await the judgement from the court,” the other said.
Credit: Daily Trust
