The Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified the election of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the national president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
MC Oluomo was elected during a delegate conference held last Saturday at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo, Osun State. However, the Appeal Court ruled in favor of Tajudeen Baruwa, confirming him as the legitimate national president.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement, Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024, delivered on Friday, November 8, by a three-member panel consisting of Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, also confirmed Baruwa as the legitimate and duly elected president of the union.
In a unanimous decision by the panel of Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Justice Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi on Friday, November 8, the court upheld the ruling of the National Industrial Court delivered on March 11, 2024, which had affirmed Baruwa’s re-election as president.
The appeal filed by MC Oluomo and his supporters was dismissed, and the court ordered the appellants to pay a cost of N100,000.
It is worth noting that the National Industrial Court had previously declared, on March 11, 2024, that the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, which appointed Isa Ore as acting president along with his National Administrative Council, was illegal and void. Justice O. O. Oyewumi had ruled there was no evidence of a crisis within the union, rejecting the use of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ that was invoked to establish a caretaker committee.
The court also affirmed the judgment of the Industrial Court delivered on the 11th March 2024 in respect of Suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023.
