Tolu Babaleye, the counsel to the Tajudeen Baruwa-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the leadership crisis rocking the union.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Mr Babaleye urged Mr Tinubu to prevail on Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, to vacate the national office of the union located at Sapele Street, Plot 1236, Garki II, Abuja.

Mr Babalaye said despite a judgment by the Court of Appeal against Oluomo, he had refused to vacate the union’s national office in Abuja. 

He said the crisis began when Mr Baruwa was sworn in as the president of NURTW in accordance with the constitution of the union in 2023.

He said that a faction of the union led by Najeem Yasin, a former president of the union, who was unsatisfied with the election results, formed a caretaker committee and chased the Baruwa-led elected officials from office.

Mr Babalaye said rather than resort to violence, Mr Baruwa instituted a suit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to reaffirm the validity and legality of his presidency.

He noted that the court, in its judgment on March 11, 2024, by Justice O.O. Oyewumi (now of the Court of Appeal), affirmed the Baruwa-led executive and dissolved the caretaker committee.

“Displeased by the judgment of the court, an appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal Abuja, led by the same Yasin, wherein he sought to overturn the decision of the industrial court,’’ he said.

Mr Babalaye noted that the appellate court dismissed Mr Yasin’s appeal on November 8, 2024, and affirmed the industrial court’s judgment.

”To our utmost surprise, the news of the inauguration of Oluomo as the national president of the union was announced in disregard to the decision of the court.

”Several attempts made to get the government to call Oluomo and his group to order had not yielded any result,” he said.

He said several letters were written to the inspector general of police, the National Security Adviser, the director-general of the State Security Service, the attorney general of the federation and the labour minister.

“We are therefore using this medium to call on President Tinubu to call Oluomo and his group to order. Baruwa is the only legally recognised national president of the union,’’ he said.

Mr Babalaye also called on the IGP and other security agencies to enforce the court judgment.

(NAN)