Baruwa says he has taken control of the NURTW secretariat

A leadership crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) escalated on Monday as a faction led by Tajudeen Baruwa took control of the union’s national secretariat in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, displacing supporters of Musiliu Akinsanya, widely known as MC Oluomo.

Baruwa, speaking to journalists said the takeover followed favourable judgments from both the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed him as the union’s legitimate president.

He said the union had previously notified the Nigerian Police of its intention to reclaim the office, attaching copies of the court rulings, but received what he described as an unencouraging response.

“Today, as you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner in compliance with court orders,” Baruwa said, adding that the move came after nearly two years of waiting for the judgments to be enforced.

He also alleged that a member of his faction was attacked during the process, but said the situation was under control and reiterated a willingness to pursue reconciliation.

General Secretary Suleiman Musa said repeated appeals to those occupying the secretariat had failed, necessitating the action.

“We have notified the police that, on the order of the court, we are coming back to our office today,” Musa said.

The dispute follows Baruwa’s opposition to the inauguration of Akinsanya as the union’s president.

Court documents show that the National Industrial Court, in a ruling delivered in 2024, recognised Baruwa as the duly elected president of the union.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in a judgment delivered on Nov. 8, 2024, upheld the lower court’s decision, dismissing an appeal filed by several individuals identified as loyalists of Akinsanya for lacking merit.

The appellate court also awarded costs of 100,000 naira against the appellants.