The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has denounced the inauguration of Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the union’s president, describing it as illegal and a blatant disregard for multiple court rulings.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Alhaji Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa, the NURTW President, condemned the move as a direct violation of judgments from both the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Baruwa as the legitimate leader of the union.
Baruwa highlighted that the courts had validated the union’s National Delegates Conference held in Lafia, Nasarawa State, in August 2023, which saw his election and inauguration as president.
The courts also nullified the subsequent October 2023 delegates’ conference and the November 2024 election that purportedly installed MC Oluomo as president.
Furthermore, the courts ruled that former union president Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin and acting president Aliyu Issa-Ore and their associates had no authority to interfere with the union’s leadership.
The union leader called on the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce the court rulings and uphold the rule of law.
The NURTW leadership also urged the public to condemn the actions of MC Oluomo and his supporters, warning of the broader implications of ignoring judicial decisions.
He assured union members nationwide that legal efforts were underway to restore order and urged them to remain calm amid the unfolding crisis.
Baruwa said, “The purported inauguration of Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, as the President of NURTW is a flagrant disobedience to subsisting judgments of both the National Industrial Court and Court of Appeal delivered on March 11 and November 8, 2024, respectively, which affirmed the election of Alhaji Comrade Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa as the legitimate President of the NURTW for a term of four years.
“The action of the Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin-led group undermines the authority of the judiciary and poses a serious threat to democracy.
“It is an undisputable fact that Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, MC Oluomo, has since lost his membership of the NURTW in line with the Constitution of the union, having voluntarily exited the union on March 9, 2021, during which he publicly tore his membership card.
“There is no vacancy in the office of the President of NURTW, and so the purported and illegal inauguration is to that extent null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.
“This charade, as orchestrated by Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, a former president of the union who has served out his two terms of four years each, is an insult to the judiciary and our democratic institutions.
“We urge the Inspector General of Police to kindly use his good offices in ensuring the enforcement of the court judgment.
“We call on the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene immediately in the interest of peace, order, and tranquillity, and the rule of law.
“We appeal to all members of our great union across the country to remain calm as we explore every legal means towards ejecting the Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin-led interlopers from the NURTW national headquarters.
“We urge the general public to condemn, in totality, this affront on our democracy.”