The Court of Appeal in Abuja has finally resolved the protracted leadership crisis in the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, affirming Dr. Musa Mohammed as the duly elected Executive President.
The judgment delivered yesterday in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CB/467/2021 dismissed the case filed by Mr. Eriyo Osakpamwan as inconsequential since the disputed 2018-2023 tenure had expired.
A unanimous decision by the three-member panel comprising Justices Hamma Akawu Barka (presiding), Abba Bello Mohammed, and Eberechi Suzette Nyesom-Wike held that the matter had been overtaken by events, especially with a new leadership already elected. Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, delivering the lead judgment, stated:
“A suit becomes irrelevant when it has no practical value to the parties involved. The tenure in question ended in 2023, and a new leadership is already in place. This court cannot turn back the clock. Our role is to resolve live disputes with legal consequences, not to engage in academic debates that have no impact on the current realities.”
The legal battle originated from a 2020 National Industrial Court ruling that invalidated Osakpamwan and Yusuf Ibrahim Adeniyi’s emergence as RTEAN leaders while upholding Dr. Mohammed’s legitimacy based on the union’s National Executive Council resolutions.
Justice Nyesom-Wike reinforced the decision, noting: “The tenure of Alhaji Musa Mohammed, which is being challenged, ended in 2023, and we are now in 2025. This appeal is therefore of no practical value… We must focus on issues that have real-world implications for the parties involved.”
The court also dismissed Osakpamwan’s procedural objection regarding mandatory conciliation, deeming it moot after the tenure expiration.
Reacting to the verdict, Dr. Mohammed praised the judiciary’s integrity and called for union unity:
“This ruling is a testament to the strength of our democratic institutions and the resilience of RTEAN’s internal governance. We are moving forward; united, focused, and ready to serve… Let us put the past behind us and focus on building a stronger RTEAN that will contribute meaningfully to national development.”
RTEAN’s national secretariat in a statement reaffirmed its commitment to transparent governance and member welfare, marking an end to the five-year dispute that had threatened the influential transport union’s stability.
