Days after his emergence, Appeal Court sacks MC Olu-Omo as NURTW national president

• Akinsanya had emerged as the NURTW national president last Saturday after winning an election held during a delegate conference at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo, Osun State.

The election that produced Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as Olu-Omo, as the national president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, has been annulled.

Akinsanya had emerged as the NURTW national president last Saturday after winning an election held during a delegate conference at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo, Osun State.

However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the election and affirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the re-elected NURTW national president, according to a court document sighted by SaharaReporters.

The appellate court in an unanimous judgement delivered by the trio of Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba and Justice Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi on Friday, November 8,  sacked Akinsanya.

According to court papers, the justices upheld the March 11, 2024 ruling of the National Industrial Court, Abuja, affirming the re-election of Tajudeen Baruwa as the national president of the union.

In the appeal numbered CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024 between Alh. Najeem Usman Yasin, Alh. Tajudeen Badru Agbede, Alh. Aliyu Isa Ore, Kayode Agbeyangi, Alh. Alhasan Haruna 313, Aliyu Tanimu, Alh. Hakeem Adeosun as 1st to 7th Appellants and Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, Bello Adamu, Eugene Eze Job, Danjuma Saidu, Prince Isah Dahiru Uman, Suleiman Adamu, Odion Olaye J.P and Chief Herbert C. Iwuji as the 1st to 8th Respondents, the three Appeal Court judges dismissed the appellants appeal and awarded a cost of N100,000 against them.

The judgment read, “This is an appeal against the judgment/decision of the National Industrial Court Sitting in Abuja, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023 delivered on the 11th March, 2024 by Justice O. O. Oyewumi. Upon reading the record of Appeal compiled and transmitted before this court together with the respective briefs of argument; And after hearing, O. I. Olorundare, SAN with F.T Sotikare, Esq Jimoh Balogun, Esq O. D. Emole, Esq I. Yunanah for the Appellants. Tolu Babaleye Esq with Adeniyi Adejoke Esq, Maku Oluwatoyin Esq, B. T Ataine Esq for the respondents; it is hereby ordered that: this appeal is devoid of merit and the same is hereby dismissed.”

Recall that the National Industrial Court in its judgement on Monday, March 11, 2024, declared that the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, that produced the acting president, Isa Ore, and his National Administrative Council was illegal, null and void.

In her judgment, Justice O. O. Oyewumi explained that there was no evidence of a crisis in the union, dismissing the ‘invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ which led to the constitution of the caretaker committee