The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
A three-member panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal (JCAs) led by Justice Hamma Barka affirmed the March 11, 2024, judgment of the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Abuja, which reinstated Baruwa for his second term as the union’s president.
Justice 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.
Oyewumi also recognised the quadrennial national delegate conference held on August 23, 2023, as the valid assembly for inaugurating national officers.
Aggrieved by the verdict, Najeem Yasin, Tajudeen Agbede, and others who claimed to be the union’s national leaders filed an appeal marked CA/ABJ//CV/293/2024 challenging the National Industrial Court’s decision to recognise Baruwa as president.
But in the unanimous judgment delivered on November 8, the appellate court dismissed the appeal and awarded N100,000 costs against the appellants.
JCA Barka said, “This appeal is devoid of merit, and the same is hereby dismissed.
“I award the cost of N100,000 against the appellant and in favour of the respondents.”
The judgment of the Court of Appeal means that the election of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as president of the union has been nullified.
Akinsanya was the sole candidate in the election, which took place at the union’s zonal secretariat along the Osogbo/Ikirun road in Osun State on November 9.
He was sworn in on November 11 while delegates from the four south-west states—Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti—participated in the election.
Tajudeen Agbede and Akeem Adeosun were sworn in as vice-president, South-West and trustee, respectively.
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