Court of Appeal Declares Tajudeen Baruwa as Legitimate NURTW President

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has affirmed Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa as the legally recognized President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The appellate court upheld the judgment of the National Industrial Court, delivered on March 11, 2024, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023, which declared Baruwa as the union’s president.

It ruled that the appeal filed by Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, and others, challenging the Industrial Court’s decision, lacked merit and dismissed it accordingly.

The three-member panel of Justices—Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi—concluded that Baruwa is the lawfully elected President of the NURTW. The court also imposed a cost of N100,000 against the appellants, identified as loyalists of MC Oluomo, in favor of the respondents.

At a press conference, Baruwa described the inauguration of MC Oluomo as both laughable and a violation of the judiciary’s authority. He stated that it disregarded the judgments of the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, issued on March 11 and November 8, respectively, which barred the Yasin-led faction from interfering in the affairs of the union and the administration of its Baruwa-led national executives.

Baruwa emphasized that the NURTW operates under a constitution that outlines clear procedures for electing officers. He called on the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the enforcement of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, in the interest of peace, order, and the rule of law.