In the midst of the ongoing leadership dispute within the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tajudeen Baruwa has taken over the union’s national secretariat in Abuja, effectively displacing Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as Musiliu Akinsanya MC Oluomo.
The development comes after multiple court decisions that confirmed Baruwa as the authentic national president of the union.
Addressing journalists after gaining access to the secretariat alongside supporters drawn from different parts of the country, Baruwa said the action was carried out strictly in obedience to judicial pronouncements, stressing that it was not a violent or forceful takeover.
“Today, as you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner, and it is not a forceful takeover but just carrying out the court’s orders,” he said.
He explained that the union had earlier informed the Nigeria Police Force of its plan to repossess the secretariat, attaching certified copies of the relevant court rulings to support their request.
According to him, despite those formal notifications, the response from security authorities was not encouraging, which led the union to issue another notice before proceeding with the occupation on Monday.
“Their body language has not been encouraging despite repeated assurance that we are not going back to foment any trouble as we are a law-abiding union whose only mission is to get back what belonged to them,” he said.
Baruwa added that the union had exercised restraint for about two years after securing favourable judgments before deciding to physically return to the office.
“Our coming here after two years is to occupy our office, having obtained judgments at both the lower court and the Appeal Court, but they refused to obey court orders after waiting for about two years. We decided to resume back at the office today without causing any violence, and here we are,” Baruwa stated, adding that one of their members was attacked by the opposing faction and hospitalised, though the situation remained under control.
“We are still open to reconciliation as we are a lawful organisation and not a troublemaker. No one is above the law,” he said.
The union’s General Secretary, Suleiman Musa, supported Baruwa’s position, insisting that those previously occupying the secretariat had ignored repeated calls to vacate the premises.
“We have notified the police that, on the order of the court, we are coming back to our office today, and we are glad that journalists are here to witness it so that the world will know what is going on here,” Musa stated.
The takeover is anchored on two major court rulings. The National Industrial Court, in suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023 delivered by Justice O.O. Oyewumi, had affirmed Baruwa’s election as the legitimate president of the union.
Subsequently, the Court of Appeal in Abuja reinforced that position in its judgment delivered on November 8, 2024, in appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024. It dismissed the appeal filed by supporters of MC Oluomo , including Najeem Usman Yasin, Tajudeen Agbede, and others , describing it as lacking merit and awarding N100,000 in costs against the appellants.
The three-member panel of the appellate court, comprising Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, upheld the earlier ruling of March 11, 2024, by the industrial court which first recognised Baruwa’s leadership, effectively bringing judicial closure to the prolonged leadership tussle within the union.
