NURTW revokes MC Oluomo’s membership, de-lists his name & declares persona non grata
THE travails of the erstwhile chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya (popularly known as MC Oluomo), appear compounded barely a few days after the Court of Appeal nullified his election as the National President of the transport union.
Agenda Papers gathered that the membership of the staunch loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially been revoked and his name removed.
This development was made public by the union’s Southwest Zonal Chairman, Olalekan Folorunsho (also called Lekan Salami) on Tuesday, 19 November.
Salami disclosed that MC Oluomo forfeited his membership in 2022 after he publicly tore his union identity card in protest. The incident occurred following a disciplinary query issued by the NURTW’s national leadership.
“Our Constitution is clear. A returning member must submit a formal application to the national leadership, which is subject to approval. Such a person must also spend two years at the grassroots level before contesting for any position,” Salami stated.
“The former Lagos State chairman has not complied with these requirements, rendering him ineligible to hold any office within the union”.
Salami also used the opportunity to reaffirm the leadership of Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, whose presidency was recently validated by the Court of Appeal.
He urged the government to recognise Baruwa’s authority and denounced acts of disorder within the union.
“The NURTW in Osun State remains under Baruwa’s leadership. Gangsterism has no place in our union, and MC Oluomo should be called to order,” he emphasized.
Agenda Papers reports that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) division of the Court of Appeal last week upheld the re-election of Tajudeen Baruwa as the National President of NURTW, rendering the recent election of MC Oluomo invalid.
According to court documents, the appellate court affirmed the 11 March 2024, judgment of the National Industrial Court Abuja, which recognized Baruwa’s leadership. This judgment effectively nullifies the 9 November 2024 election that saw MC Oluomo emerge as the union’s president during a conference held in Osogbo, Osun State.
The judgment was delivered by a panel of three justices – Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi – who dismissed the appeal and imposed a cost of N100,000 on the appellants.
“This appeal is devoid of merit and the same is hereby dismissed,” the court held in its judgment, which was read by Justice Barka.
The court further affirmed the National Industrial Court’s validation of the delegates’ conference held on 24 May 2023, across six zonal councils, where Baruwa secured a second term as president. It also upheld the 23 August 2023, National Delegates Conference in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where Baruwa and other national officers were inaugurated.
Justice O. O. Oyewumi of the National Industrial Court had earlier ruled that the 25 October 2023 national delegates’ conference, which produced Isa Ore as acting president, and the subsequent 9 November 2024 election overseen by Ore, were invalid.
The judgment declared that there was no evidence of a leadership crisis in the union to justify the invocation of a ‘doctrine of necessity,’ which led to the formation of a caretaker committee by the former president, Najeem Yasin.
Oyewumi also restrained Yasin, the union’s former president and chairman of its Board of Trustees, from interfering in the day-to-day operations of the union, limiting his role to board matters.
“This National Delegates Conference held on 25 October 2023, cannot stand and is hereby declared null and void,” the judge held.
The appeal court’s decision has now cemented Baruwa’s position as the legitimate leader of the NURTW, invalidating all actions taken by the Isa Ore-led caretaker committee and the election that brought MC Oluomo to power.
