From TCNEWS
A legal storm is brewing in Nigeria’s entertainment industry as the Abia State Chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) drags the Guild’s purported National President, Mr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas, before the Federal High Court in Umuahia over questions surrounding the legitimacy of his leadership.
The suit, filed under case number FHC/UM/CS/92/2025, seeks judicial clarification on the constitutionality of the current AGN National Executive Council, which Emeka Rollas is alleged to be heading despite a prior court ruling invalidating the basis for such an office.
This case could redefine power structures within one of Nigeria’s most influential entertainment unions. With AGN playing a major role in Nollywood’s development, any decision on its leadership legality has implications for industry governance, union accountability, and rule of law in the cultural sector. The outcome will be watched closely by actors, stakeholders, and civil society alike.
Led by Comrade David Onyebuchi Amalaha, the Abia AGN is leaning heavily on a 2015 judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Lagos in the case of St. Maradonna Mikevine Johnson vs The Incorporated Trustees of AGN & Ibinabo Fiberesima (FHC/L/CS/734/13). In that ruling, the court declared the tenure of the AGN’s then-Board of Trustees — including Prince Ifeanyi Dike (now late), Emmanuel Oguguah, Murphy Stephen, Sunny McDon, and Okey McAnthony — as expired.
Crucially, the court also ruled that any elections conducted under the auspices of this now-defunct board were null and void, labeling such actions “illegal, unconstitutional, and contemptuous”. It barred those involved from parading as Guild officials or conducting further AGN elections.
Despite this clear directive, the Abia AGN alleges that the same disbanded group orchestrated the controversial election that brought Mr. Emeka Rollas into office — a move they now claim openly defies a subsisting court order.
The case, set to be heard on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, could determine not just the legitimacy of Rollas’ presidency, but may also send shockwaves through the national structure of the Guild. Industry insiders say the ruling could reset AGN’s leadership framework and impact its credibility within Nollywood and the wider cultural sector.
This lawsuit represents a fresh chapter in the AGN’s internal leadership saga, which has been marred by recurring power tussles, court interventions, and rival factions. If the court rules in favour of the Abia AGN, it could pave the way for a new leadership structure and set precedent for how national associations are governed under Nigerian law.
