Former Presidential Candidate Challenges Removal From SPDC Spouse Pension Register After 35 Years

Reactions have continued to trail the removal of Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a former presidential candidate, from the SPDC/RENAISSANCE/SNCPFA spouse pensioner register after 35 years of receiving medical benefits.

Adesanya-Davies, who contested the 2019 presidential election and has spent more than four decades in academia, said she was first denied treatment at the SPDC/RENAISSANCE Hospital in Port Harcourt before subsequently receiving an email notifying her of the “immediate cessation” of her medical benefits as a spouse at retirement.

Speaking at her Port Harcourt residence, the 65-year-old professor described the development as “calculated, targeted and dangerous,” alleging that the decision could put her health at risk.

“They want to kill me. Please, don’t kill me,” she said.
According to her, she had only recently been discharged after a 13-day admission at the same hospital and was still undergoing treatment and awaiting a follow-up appointment when she was informed that her benefits had been stopped.

Adesanya-Davies said she had relied on the spouse medical benefits for 35 years, including during the period when she gave birth to her children.

She argued that the benefit was not a favour but part of the long-standing arrangement arising from her husband’s service.

“This matter is not just about me. There are many SPDC/RENAISSANCE ex-spouses and thousands of Nigerian company ex-employees and widows out there who do not have a voice,” she said.

She clarified that the benefit covered her treatment and medication under Hygeia HMO at the SPDC/RENAISSANCE Hospital in Port Harcourt.

Reactions
The development has reportedly generated reactions from civil society groups, students, youths, academics, legal practitioners and women’s organisations.

The Women in Governance Network described the removal as “an erasure of history,” arguing that the case could have wider implications for women and spouses of retired employees.

Human rights lawyer, Barrister Excel Chinenye Ogbuji, also questioned the process, saying administrative fairness ordinarily requires notice and an opportunity for affected beneficiaries to be heard.

“Administrative fairness demands notice, hearing and a transition plan. You cannot just cut off a 35-year service benefit by an email,” Ogbuji said.

Legal Battle Looms
Adesanya-Davies said she had briefed her lawyers to challenge the decision at the Rivers State High Court, where she intends to seek reinstatement of her benefits and damages reportedly amounting to N15 billion.

She said the legal action was not solely about her personal circumstances but was intended to establish protections for widows and former spouses who may face similar situations in the future.

“I am going to court not for myself alone. I am going to do this so that tomorrow, and in the future, no widow or ex-spouse in oil companies and other institutions will be medically erased by an individual,” she said.

She also called on the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to investigate the matter and review any further delistings or deregistrations pending clarification of the policies governing the transition from SPDC to RENAISSANCE.

The controversy is expected to raise broader questions about the rights of long-term pension and medical beneficiaries, administrative fairness and the treatment of spouses following corporate restructuring and retirement arrangements.

The SPDC/RENAISSANCE/SNCPFA Joint Pension Board’s detailed response to the allegations was not included in the statement provided.