While his lawsuit against the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) is ongoing, PRNigeria founder Malam Yushau Shuaib has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to reject NIPSS’s request that he turn over the key to his flat.
Shuaib argued in a counter-affidavit he filed in response to NIPSS’s motion that the request was baseless, frivolous, and prejudiced because it directly addressed matters that were already being considered in his substantive lawsuit contesting his withdrawal from Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47.
Plaintiff Shuaib in case FHC/ABJ/CS/1329/2025 contended that the institute’s request amounted to “unmerited relief through the back door” and might constitute interlocutory prejudgment.
The lodging for the full term was covered by the ₦18.3 million he paid for the training, according to him, and the dormitory suite was given accordingly.
He stated that the court should decide whether his suspension and withdrawal were lawful as his participation in the program had not been legitimately ended.
He said that the substantive lawsuit will address the matter of whether his suspension had properly ended his participation and if he had the right to continue using the facilities, including the hotel.
Additionally, Shuaib claimed that he had already been refused entry to the lodging, and his valuables, including gadgets, paperwork, and other personal possessions, are still in the room without proper protection.
Since approving the application would give the idea that his withdrawal was legitimate and his rights were terminated, the PRNigeria publisher accused NIPSS of behaving in bad faith.
Plus, he said that the institute’s requested relief is a final order, which cannot be granted during the interlocutory stage without first hearing the substantive case in its entirety.
“The defendant is trying to achieve what it cannot lawfully obtain without a final judgement utilising an interlocutory application,” he argued.
Since the institute would be unharmed if the accommodation is left undisturbed, Shuaib said that it would be more convenient to keep things as they are. On the other hand, he could lose property or have his case thrown out of court.
The disagreement began when Shuaib withdrew from SEC 47, claiming that his decision was arbitrary and founded on baseless accusations made less than three months into the program.
The litigation expenses amounting to 100 million, reinstatement into SEC 47 with all privileges and rights, general and aggravated damages amounting to 1 billion, and ₦1 billion for alleged emotional and reputational loss are also sought in the complaint, which was filed through his counsel, Malam Yunus Abdulsalam, SAN.
The permanent restraining order prohibiting NIPSS from engaging in any more forms of harassment or intimidation
Further, he claimed that the institute’s purported access to his private email violated his right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, and he contested this claim.
A hearing has been scheduled for May 6, 2026, by Justice Binta Fatima Nyako.
Not only will the case likely decide Shuaib’s fate in the SEC 47 program, but it will also likely decide larger issues about data privacy, contractual duties, and due process in government agencies.