In a significant ruling, the National Industrial Court in Abuja affirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the re-elected president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), while also invalidating the Tajudeen Agbede-led Caretaker Committee.
Justice O. O. Oyewumi delivered the judgment, upholding the validity of the delegates’ conference held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa secured a second term as president.
The court also restrained former Union President Najeem Yasin from interfering in day-to-day union affairs, allowing him only to act as chairman of the board of trustees.
Furthermore, the court validated the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held on August 23, 2023, in Nasarawa State, where Baruwa and other national officers were inaugurated.
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Conversely, the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, which led to the emergence of Acting President Isa Ore and his National Administrative Council, was deemed illegal, null, and unconstitutional.
Justice Oyewumi emphasized the absence of evidence of a crisis within the union, thereby negating the invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ that led to the formation of the caretaker committee.
The ruling comes amid tensions within the NURTW, notably evidenced by the forced takeover of the union’s secretariat by the Lagos State Park Management Committee, led by Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo.
Baruwa and other national officers were subsequently arrested and detained, prompting the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to issue a warning to the police against interference in the union’s internal affairs.
The NLC backed the legality of Baruwa’s leadership, cautioning against any attempts to disrupt the union’s governance, which could potentially escalate into violence.
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