NURTW Declares Oluomo’s Presidency, Inauguration Illegal
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has condemned the inauguration of Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the President of the union, describing it as a blatant violation of multiple court judgments.
The NURTW leadership, led by Alhaji Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa, declared the inauguration illegal, null, and void, citing rulings from the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal that affirmed Baruwa as the legitimate president.
Baruwa, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, expressed shock and dismay over the actions of MC Oluomo and his backers, which he said undermined the authority of the judiciary and posed a threat to democracy.
He emphasized that the union’s constitution and established legal frameworks had been disregarded in what he called a “charade” orchestrated by former union president Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin.
The courts had validated the union’s August 2023 National Delegates Conference in Lafia, Nasarawa State, which saw Baruwa’s election and inauguration.
Conversely, they nullified the October 2023 delegates’ conference and the subsequent November 2024 election that purportedly brought MC Oluomo to power.
The courts also ruled that Yasin and his associates, including acting president Aliyu Issa-Ore, had no authority to interfere in the union’s operations.
The NURTW leadership also highlighted that MC Oluomo voluntarily withdrew from the union in March 2021, disqualifying him from any position under the union’s constitution.
They stressed that the office of the NURTW president is not vacant, making the purported inauguration illegitimate.
Baruwa called on the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the enforcement of court rulings to preserve the rule of law.
He urged union members nationwide to remain calm and assured them of ongoing legal efforts to restore order.
The NURTW also appealed to the general public to condemn what it described as an affront to democracy and judicial authority, warning of the implications of allowing such lawlessness to go unchecked.
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.
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“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.”
