MC Oluomo reclaims NURTW secretariat after Baruwa’s arrest

Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has regained control of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) national secretariat in Abuja.

On Monday, Tajudeen Baruwa, a former NURTW president, led some persons to take over the secretariat after dislodging MC Oluomo, citing a series of court rulings declared in his favour.

However, he was later arrested alongside six other suspects by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police and charged to the Wuse magistrate court, while normalcy was restored to the area.

In a video shared via X by TVC on Tuesday, MC Oluomo could be seen assessing the damaged property in the secretariat after regaining control of the facility.

In a statement posted on his Instagram page on Monday, MC Oluomo dismissed Baruwa’s forceful takeover, insisting that he remains the national president of the union.

“The National President wishes to intimate members of the union and the general public that he was not a defendant in the purported judgment. The judgment has been appealed, and a stay of execution has been duly entered,” the statement reads.

“He has not engaged with Mr Baruwa or any individual, aware that cases are pending in court. The situation is under the control of security agencies. Alhaji Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya remains the National President of NURTW.”

In November 2024, the court of appeal in Abuja affirmed Baruwa as NURTW president, upholding the earlier judgment of the National Industrial Court, which had reinstated him in March for a second term.

O.O. Oyewumi of the National Industrial Court had affirmed the legitimacy of the zonal delegates’ conference where Baruwa was re-elected on May 24, 2023.

The judge also recognised the quadrennial national delegates’ conference held on August 23, 2023, as the valid assembly for inaugurating national officers.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Najeem Yasin, Tajudeen Agbede, and others who claimed leadership of the union filed an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024, challenging the industrial court’s decision recognising Baruwa as president.

However, in a judgment delivered on November 8, a three-member panel of justices led by Hamma Barka dismissed the appeal and awarded N100,000 in costs against the appellants.

The ruling also nullified the election of MC Oluomo as union president, which had taken place at the union’s zonal secretariat along the Osogbo–Ikirun road in Osun state on November 9.

Speaking on Monday after taking over the secretariat, Baruwa said his action was backed by the two court judgments delivered in his favour.

He added that he had formally notified the police before the move but their response was disappointing.